While a recent Bloomberg report on the matter raised considerable interest, BHP spokeswoman Samantha Evans told International Longwall News that many roles previously based in Melbourne have been relocated as part of a program that began 18 months ago.

Evans did not specify how many of the roles disappearing from the Melbourne HQ came from job cuts, but said most were relocations to other BHP offices.

“The absolute majority – by a longshot – are relocations,” she said.

The company representative said most of the relocations had happened already and added BHP’s energy coal division moved to Sydney and the metallurgical coal division moved to Brisbane, both last year.