Alongside partners the Australian Government and Earthwatch, BHP Billiton Sustainable Communities today announced a A$6 million contribution to the second stage of the unique species discovery program, Bush Blitz. BHP Billiton’s contribution will be matched by the Australian Government, allowing the program to run until 2017 with A$12 million in funding. Known as Bush Blitz II, the program involves expedition teams conducting flora and fauna surveys across Australia which deepen the scientific knowledge of the country’s unique plants and animals. Bush Blitz II will build on the success of the first stage of the program, which between 2010 and 2013 discovered more than 700 new species of plants and recorded more than 17,000 known species across 65 remote reserves across Australia.