BHP plans to redeploy as many workers as possible at its Yandi iron ore mine in the Pilbara region, where production is set to decrease. A spokesperson for BHP stated, "Yandi's production profile has steadily ramped down in recent years, and we now need to adjust the mine plan to meet current and future operational requirements." The mine currently employs around 600 direct staff and supports approximately 150 contractors.

The company indicated that it would need to consult further with the Yandi workforce to determine the exact number of job losses. The Western Mine Workers Alliance (WMWA), a collective of multiple unions, anticipates that between 100 and 150 jobs may be affected. WMWA coordinator Shane Roulstone expressed concern, saying, "This is never good news, you know they're good-paying jobs. We just hope BHP applies a level and sensible head so we mitigate the job losses as much as possible."

Roulstone expects the wind-down at Yandi to be completed by mid-2026, at which point only about 100 employees will be needed on site. He noted, "So that will leave 500-odd employees to find alternative employment or redundancies, and that's a lot of employees to be made redundant or redeployed." He acknowledged that mine closures and price fluctuations are challenging realities in the industry but expressed hope that the gradual closure of Yandi could create new opportunities.

"For some First Nations Australians, they will be interested in care and maintenance roles at that particular mine site because it's culturally important to them, and I imagine BHP will be pretty supportive of that," he added.

The announcement regarding Yandi coincided with news that about 100 workers at a major alumina refinery in Western Australia were called into meetings to discuss their future. This development followed an internal review of Worsley Alumina's operations due to a decline in alumina prices. A spokesperson for Worsley Alumina stated, "Worsley Alumina has recently undertaken a review of its activities to support the ongoing sustainability of the operation against a backdrop of cost and global market pressures, including alumina prices."

The spokesperson added, "Unfortunately, some roles will be made redundant. We are engaging directly with all impacted employees and providing a range of supports to them, their families, and teams."

Earlier this year, the Commonwealth approved an expansion of South32's Worsley Alumina bauxite mine near Boddington. Some contractor staff from South32, including a few workers from maintenance company Monadelphous, will also be affected by the changes. This news comes as Tomago Aluminium, Australia's largest aluminium smelter located north of Newcastle in New South Wales, is evaluating its future following Alcoa's announcement last month about the permanent closure of its alumina refinery near Perth.