Foundation Broken Hill is an incorporated body that facilitates employment opportunities and encourages social development in Broken Hill and the surrounding region. It does this through loans and grants provided from interest generated by a protected capital fund. The Foundation is a sustainable organisation that will work for the local community in perpetuity.
Cobalt Blue and Foundation Broken Hill have joined forces to address obstacles and opportunities that will support Broken Hill residents to achieve the maximum benefit possible out of the Broken Hill Cobalt Project. The supply of adequate housing to attract and retain a residential workforce is one important area under collaborative investigation.
In Issue 26 (September 22) of the Foundation Broken Hill Stakeholder Newsletter, John Lynch (Chair), discusses the current primary focus of Foundation Broken Hill - to work with mining companies, government, and other leading agencies and overcome barriers to achieving a residential workforce for the benefit of Broken Hill. John Lynch says:
“A priority for us (and the companies) is that those jobs should be residential instead of Fly In Fly Out—which means finding solutions to barriers. Broken Hill’s housing stock currently is short of both quantity and quality and our CEO has been researching, consulting, and drafting options for ways we could help. We are pursuing discussions with all levels of Government, (Federal, State and Local ) as we believe only a true partnership can provide the basis for a solution to our issue. Our timeframe is very short, as many of these jobs will be wanted within three years. We will continue to work on it, prioritising our resources as much as we can.”
Cobalt Blue’s Communications and Engagement Manager, Andrea Roberts, says: “With Broken Hills 100-plus years in mining, the Broken Hill Cobalt Project benefits from access to expertise, established infrastructure, and a community that is both willing and able to work together. Our local team were really pleased to be able to show Foundation Broken Hill around our Demonstration Plant and the significant progress that has been made. Keeping our stakeholders informed and working with them to create opportunities, reinforces our commitment to the people of Broken Hill.”
