Emerging Models of Community Engagement in the Australian Minerals Industry

Harvey B¹*, Brereton D²*

1. Rio Tinto Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Traditionally, most Australian mining companies had little involvement with local communities, except in the case of purpose-built mining towns, where companies typically played the role of a paternalistic service provider. However, over the last several years there has been a concerted drive within the sector to change how mines interact with their communities. Most of the larger companies have made public commitments to engage with affected communities and other stakeholders on matters of mutual concern, a variety of formal and informal consultative processes have been established at the local level, and a growing number of operations are adopting formal community relations plans and management systems. Increasingly, industry conferences are focusing on themes such as ‘engaging with stakeholders’, ‘partnering with communities’ and ‘managing social impacts’.
The paper will provide an overview of the new forms of community engagement that are emerging within the Australian mining industry, identify the main drivers of change, and discuss the challenges that lie ahead for the industry. The primary focus of the paper will be on Rio Tinto Ltd, which has over 20 sites around Australia, located in a wide variety of community settings. Rio’s experience is of particular interest, as the company has recently developed a comprehensive community relations management framework for its Australian and overseas operations

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