Our engagements with local communities are based on the same principles of sustainability that frame our partnerships with producer governments. Our aim is to promote the development of sustainable local economies that endure post-mining. We work with local communities to “multiply” the impact of
our presence into long-term and self-sustaining development. We do this through capacity building, infrastructure development, the provision of employment, strategic social investment, enterprise development and the promotion of procurement agreements with local suppliers.

Successful partnerships are based on principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity. In our engagements with local communities the framework for these principles is defined in terms of our social licence to operate.

Gaining a social licence involves ongoing engagement with local and indigenous communities with a view to ensuring that they understand the impacts of our activity and participate in the development of impact mitigation strategies, as well as programmes to maximise local benefit.

Well managed community engagement during the life of a mine promotes a foundation for a positive post-mining legacy. This requires careful planning for closure, ongoing monitoring and continuous review. It also requires us to work in partnership with government and non-government agencies to find relevant and lasting solutions to community development challenges.

The value of this integrated approach to supporting our communities was clearly demonstrated in 2009 as we were able to ensure the continuity of key community programmes across all our operations despite staff cutbacks, production holidays, temporary closures and reduced social investment budgets as a result of the economic crisis.