Anglo American has revealed its priority social investment areas for the next three years in the Central Queensland communities where it operates, with the release of its Socio-Economic Assessment Toolbox (SEAT) Reports 2019 – 2021.
Banana Shire Council Mayor Nev Ferrier and local Councillor Brooke Leo cut the ribbon on Anglo American’s new community shopfront in Moura.
Anglo American’s Australian operations include five metallurgical coal mines in Central Queensland; two open cut and three underground. In line with the company’s global approach to sustainability, a full socio-economic assessment was undertaken for each of the regions in Queensland where it operates: Moranbah (Moranbah-Grosvenor complex), Middlemount (Capcoal complex) and the Moura/Banana/Theodore area (Dawson Mine).
Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business, Tyler Mitchelson, said the reports provided a snapshot of key issues raised by the community during an extensive community engagement program in late 2018 and set out Anglo American’s socio-economic investment priorities for the years ahead.
"As one of Central Queensland’s major employers, we understand the importance of community,” Mr Mitchelson said.
“It’s our firm belief that our communities should benefit from our presence, and we are committed to making that happen.
“These reports reflect the views of a wide range of community members who were consulted as part of our SEAT process in late 2018. We listened to feedback about the positive and negative impacts of our operations and used it to help determine our way forward over the next few years.”
Priority action areas for each region include:
Moranbah area: Local economy; Community engagement and communication; Childcare; Education; Health and well-being
Middlemount area: Engagement and communication; Housing; Childcare; Job opportunities for young people; Health, safety and well-being
Moura, Banana and Theodore: Local economy; Community engagement and communication; Health, Safety and well-being; Opportunities for young people; Living locally
“We have a strong history of supporting local sustainable development initiatives through our social investment policy and community funding grants program. Applications are now open for community funding grants*, and the priorities identified in our new SEAT Reports will help guide our future contributions,” Mr Mitchelson said.
“I’m proud to release these reports, which reaffirm our commitment to partnership and open, honest engagement with our stakeholders.
“We look forward to working with the community to help ensure our Central Queensland communities thrive.”
Anglo American officially opened a new community shopfront in Moura this week, as part of the company’s commitment to open engagement and social investment locally. Shopfronts in Middlemount and Moranbah are also up and running.
Anglo American’s Head of Corporate Relations in Australia, Victoria Somlyay, attended the opening and said the company was committed to supporting the communities where it operates.
“The opening of this community shopfront is a direct result of the feedback we received from the community last year. We heard from the community that they wanted us to be more accessible to be able to listen to feedback and provide information on our operations and investment in the community.
“One of our key priorities for the Dawson area is supporting the local economy, and we are always challenging ourselves to do more to support local businesses. We’ve used local suppliers in the construction and fit-out of the new shopfront and they have done a remarkable job,” she said.
To download copies of the SEAT Reports, visit the reports page on Anglo American's website.
*Applications for Anglo American’s community funding grants are open until 31 March 2019. For more information, visit the community investment page on Anglo American's website.