25 November 2024

Families turn out for Whitehaven Coal Community Open Day in Blackwater

Around 1200 residents and families from across the region turned out to Blackwater’s May Day Fair Grounds on Saturday for Whitehaven Coal’s Community Open Day.
The event brought together people from as far as Emerald and Rockhampton to enjoy an exciting day of free activities, kids rides, market stalls and entertainment, as well as information stands for the community to learn more about the coal mining industry.

Whitehaven Coal’s Chief Operating Officer, Ian Humphris, attended the event and said it was a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to residents, local businesses and the broader community who have supported Whitehaven since it began operations in the region earlier this year.

“Whitehaven is incredibly proud to be a part of this community, and we recognise the important role we have to play as one of largest employers in the region to support locals and local businesses. This is a responsibility we take very seriously,” he said.

“We’re especially proud to support communities like Blackwater, which is home to many of our people and contractors.

“But for us at Whitehaven, it’s not just about jobs and business opportunities – we want to leave a social legacy that outlives our mining operations through improvements in local education, health services, skills and training opportunities, and infrastructure.”

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the local community for decades to come.”

The open day included a full schedule of activities, with families enjoying jumping castles, pony rides, face painting, amusement rides and entertainment, as well as market stalls and food vendors.

The guided bus tours of the Blackwater Mine were particularly popular, with the community jumping at the chance to get a behind the scenes look at how a working coal mine operates. Attendees at the Fair Grounds were also given an insight into Whitehaven’s mining processes, with a number of employees on hand to talk about different aspects of the operations and a range of machinery on display such as haulage trucks and excavator buckets.

Local contractors, businesses and community groups were in attendance, including Blackwater State School, Blackwater Pony Club, and Blackwater Combined Churches. Whitehaven marked the occasion with a special BBQ fundraiser for Movember to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

Whitehaven have uploaded all of the photos from Saturday to its Facebook page so make sure you check them out there.

The Community Open Day is an important part of Whitehaven’s broader efforts to build a strong connection with local communities across Central Queensland following its acquisition of the Blackwater and Daunia mines in April.

The first round of Whitehaven’s Queensland Community Grants Program has seen it commit funding to 28 organisations and causes across the region, including Blackwater CWA, Moranbah State School, Emerald Neighbourhood Centre and CQU’s U-Beach Disability Support Program.

The next grant round opens on 1 January 2025, with the company set to extend the reach of its support even further.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://whitehavencoal.com.au/sponsorships-qld

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