Australia

Community

Our relationships with the communities around our projects and operations are critical to the success and sustainability of our business. We are committed to building respectful and mutually beneficial relationships with communities near our operations. By working with community leaders, business owners, non-government organizations, government and industry, we can catalyze long-term social and economic growth. In addition to the community development programs and investments, each site has a dedicated community relations team to encourage ongoing dialogue with all our stakeholders to ensure our operations contribute positively to the community’s growth.

Tanami contributes millions of dollars annually to the Northern Territory economy by employing local citizens, purchasing goods and services, paying payroll taxes, government royalties, land use payments, salaries and supporting community projects. We also provide significant investments in community initiatives that support community capacity-building activities, such as the Waninjawarnu Project, which provides resources on nutrition and healthcare to parents.

At Newmont Tanami, we have a formal agreement with the Central Land Council and with the local Warlpiri (Yapa) people, who own our mine site as freehold land. We meet regularly with Traditional Owners who play an integral role in the progression of our operations.

Indigenous Rights

As part of our strong relationship and commitment with the Aboriginal People of Australia, and in recognition of their native title rights, Newmont Boddington Gold negotiated a land access agreement. The Mooditj Booja Community Partnership Agreement is a commitment to support the capacity and capability of the Gnaala Karla Booja people through employment and training, protection of heritage, and access fund paid to a trust for the betterment of the traditional owners present and future.

Environment

Our environmental stewardship programs strive to minimize our environmental footprint throughout the mine life, from exploration through construction, mining, closure and reclamation.

Whether it is management of water, cyanide, energy, noise, or dust emissions, our systems and processes at Boddington ensure we meet or exceed government regulations, as well as our own technical standards.

Whether it is managing water, cyanide, energy, noise, or dust emissions, our systems and processes ensure we meet or exceed government regulations, as well as our own technical standards. We track our environmental performance through monitoring programs, and the results are independently verified and reported to the government. Our Australian sites continually explore opportunities to reduce the consumption of electricity, diesel and other fuels to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and operating costs. We are continuing to investigate the potential for solar power at Tanami. As the cost of solar generation continues to decrease, solar energy may present a competitive and viable alternative to remote diesel generation.

In 2009, Newmont began a forestry carbon offset project, planting 800,000 mallee tree seedlings in New South Wales and Western Australia. The trees are expected to capture approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon over 30–50 years, thereby supporting the Clean Energy Act. The trees also improve the salinity of the soils and increase biodiversity in the area and are a part of the Carbon Farming Initiative, launched by the Australian government in 2011.