This report documents research conducted with local Indigenous employees at MMG's Century Mine in the Gulf of Carpentaria, northwest Queensland. It is part of a broader study which aims to assist MMG's closure planning by assessing Century's economic and social contribution to the Lower Gulf communities and identifying potential regional impacts of production ceasing. The overall purpose is to identify opportunities for Century to contribute to sustainable development of the Lower Gulf and to assist the parties to the Gulf Communities Agreement (GCA) to realise native title groups' goals and aspirations for social and economic improvements as recorded in the GCA. The research set out to understand the impacts and contributions that mine employment has brought Indigenous employees, particularly 'GCA employees' and consider the implications of mine closure. GCA employees were mainly identified as local Indigenous people who have affiliation with the Lower Gulf communities including members of GCA native title groups, whether they lived locally or not, and also other Indigenous people who have lived in the Gulf communities for five years or more. The primary research method was a survey with mostly closed and some open-ended questions, combined with targeted semi-structured interviews with individual as well as small groups. The survey was distributed to approximately 150 GCA employees, including company personnel and contractors. A total of 117 responses were received representing a 79% response rate and coverage of 47% of the total GCA workforce. Sixty-six (66) GCA employees across all work roles participated in either individual or group interviews. Approximately one third of the interviewees were female. The survey was designed to ascertain the demographic profile and employment arrangements as well as experiences of working at Century. The survey sought specifically to reveal how working at Century has impacted on employees and their families, employee's perceptions of changes in their respective communities of origin, and their plans with respect to the imminent mine closure including the possible impacts of closure on them personally and on their communities. The approach to the research closely followed the methods used in 2007 research by CSRM with Century's Indigenous employees thereby allowing valuable longitudinal comparisons to be made.

Publisher: Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining

CITATION

Arbeláez-Ruiz, D & Weldegiorgis, F (2013) Social aspects of the closure of Century Mine: Supplement B - Survey of employees in GCA roles at Century Mine, CSRM, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland: Brisbane, Australia.

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Social aspects of the closure of Century Mine: survey of employees in GCA roles at Century Mine
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Social aspects of the closure of Century Mine: survey of employees in GCA roles at Century Mine