Our Communities
BMA's employees and their families live in the mining towns of Moranbah, Dysart and Blackwater, as well as the more diverse rural and mining centres of Emerald/Capella, Coppabella/Nebo and the regional coast around Mackay/Sarina.
Employees of BMA's Goonyella Riverside, Peak Downs and Broadmeadow mines live in the township of Moranbah, which was established in the early 1970s for mine employees and now has a population in excess of 8,000. Moranbah is a thriving, mining town, two hours west of Mackay in the Shire of Belyando . It has a range of modern sporting and leisure facilities and a lively retail centre.
Dysart with a population of around 4,000 was built to house the employees of BMA's Saraji and Norwich Park mines. Dysart is a small rural town situated in the Broadsound Shire approximately 3 hours south west of Mackay. Dysart boasts a range of business, community and health services as well as a selection of arts and cultural activities.
BMA Blackwater mine employees live in the town of Blackwater which has a population of 7,500. Located in the Duaringa Shire, 190km west of Rockhampton, on the Capricorn Highway, Blackwater, has a number of sporting and recreational clubs and facilities including a PCYC, municipal pool, golf club, sporting fields and courts.
The majority of BMA employees from the Gregory Crinum mine live in the thriving regional centre of Emerald and the smaller satellite rural community of Capella. Emerald is located 3 hours west of Rockhampton and has a population of over 12,000. The Emerald Shire supports a wide range of agricultural industries in addition to coal mining. People who live in Emerald have access to an airport as well as many government services, sporting, health, recreation and education facilities.
Sarina with a population of around 5,000 is home to many employees of BMA's Hay Point coal terminal. Located 32 km south of Mackay, Sarina was traditionally a sugar industry town. More recently other agricultural activities and aquaculture, fishing and tourism have provided further development in the region. Some Hay Point employees live in the wider Mackay Shire.
Most Thiess employees at the BMA managed South Walker Creek mine stay in camp accommodation in the Nebo Shire, and reside in Moranbah or the Mackay region. Traditionally a rural area, the Nebo Shire is experiencing significant regional growth with five operational coal mines.