BHP Budget submission calls on Government to do more about regional ECEC

Mining giant BHP has called on the Federal Government to do more to boost early childhood education and care (ECEC) availability in regional Australia, with families in mining communities like Newman and Port Hedland waiting up to two years for care. 

Roxby Downs, South Australia was another mining community singled out in the submission, along with Moranbah, Dysart, Blackwater and Emerald in Queensland. BHP has funded ECEC in these communities because an absence of such services is a barrier to the company attracting and retaining the workforce numbers required to meet demand. 

BHP is aiming for a gender-balanced workforce by 2025, and as such the company has made several of what it terms ‘social investments’, which include educator recruitment, training and converting housing stock into family day care centres.

The company hopes that the upcoming Productivity Commission review of the ECEC sector will examine ways to increase the childcare workforce in regional areas, including more skilled migration, and solve the shortage of suitable facilities in regional areas.

BHP also encouraged the commission to review the potential for federal and state government public/private partnerships with big businesses operating in regional areas to construct or upgrade compliant ECEC facilities, in line with the BHP model.

Unlocking regional investment is also important for the conglomerate to expand mining and processing, including in costly electricity transmission and transport links.

Access BHPs submission here.