Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland, Research Partnerships

Rio Tinto

The Rio Tinto partnership was established at the end of 2006, for an initial period of three years. Under the partnership agreement, Rio Tinto provides funding of $140,000 a year to CSRM which is matched by the University. The agreed objectives of the partnership are to:

collaborate on a program of research and associated activities around the broad theme of corporate social performance and sustainable development
assist Rio Tinto in ensuring that its social and environmental investments are targeted and effective
build the capacity and expertise of CSRM and Rio Tinto in key research areas
develop the skills and knowledge of Rio Tinto personnel and CSRM staff and students, including by supporting PhD work and providing secondments and internships.

The partnership is coordinated through a Steering Committee comprising personnel from Rio Tinto’s corporate office, Technical Services, Rio Tinto Coal and Rio Tinto Aluminium, and the CSRM Director and a senior CSRM researcher. The main functions of the Steering Committee are to:

define an annual work program
review performance against project and program milestones
identify opportunities for leveraging additional funds and for involving other Rio businesses
disseminate knowledge internally and externally.

Year One of the partnership was concerned with establishing governance mechanisms and defining an initial program of research that could build on and extend a substantial internal body of work undertaken by Rio on the sustainability of mining towns. Specific themes to be addressed in 2008 will centre on issues relating to town ‘normalisation’ and the management of the impacts of rapid workforce growth on mining-related communities.

Lihir Gold

In mid 2007, a three year agreement was formalised with Lihir Gold Limited (LGL) for CSRM to provide research, training and consulting services to LGL’s mine on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea. CSRM’s Dr Nick Bainton, an anthropologist by training who did his PhD on Lihir, has been assigned to lead this work. Nick spends around 50 per cent of his time on site and the balance at CSRM.

In the first year of the partnership Nick has, amongst other things, delivered training to community relations personnel employed by LGL, assisted with a social impact assessment, led the development and implementation of a cultural heritage management plan for the island, and coordinated baseline research for the Lihir Education Plan (a major, multi-year initiative that forms a key part of the Lihir Sustainable Development Plan - the revised Integrated Benefits Package between LGL, the State and the Lihirian people). Other CSRM personnel are assisting with the design and roll-out of a community relations management system and social risk management framework for the operation.

CSRM’s close involvement with Lihir provides a unique window on the challenges that communities and companies face in managing the impacts of rapid, large-scale, industrial development and in giving practical effect to the broad goal of sustainable development.

ConCord

ConCord is a multidisciplinary network of researchers based at The University of Queensland (UQ). The Consortium has the capacity to bring together companies, communities and governments as well as other stakeholders for constructive dialogue about responsible resource development. Consortium members have particular expertise working in conflict situations (for more details please see the ConCord website).

Minerals Futures CSIRO Cluster Collaboration

The Sustainable Minerals Institute will partner with researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, Curtin University of Technology, Central Queensland University, Monash University and the Australian National University to undertake a 3 year research project on the sustainability of the Australian minerals industry and provide a social and economic research capability to the CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship. The Research Cluster will be led by CSRM and funded through the CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund. The CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship consists of substantial innovation investment to address the serious challenges that face the Australian minerals industry: declining ore grades and shifting local, regional and international operating environments. The research cluster will complement the technological research undertaken through the flagship by providing foresight into the long-term strategic challenges, future scenarios, social, economic and regional contexts in which the technology will be situated and will assist the flagship to reach its goal of transforming the Australian minerals landscape. CSRM will lead a major research project on the social, socio-environmental and economic impacts of MDU technology and develop methodologies and practical tools for technology assessment. A particular focus will be on the impacts of remote operations and automation technology on indigenous employment in the minerals industry.