FOSTERINGANESSENTIALCONNECTION
Time to ‘do the right thing’ for community relations
Megan Anwyl is the Executive Director of the Magnetite
Network (MagNet) – an industry group that represents
WA magnetite producers on key issues such as carbon
and mineral resources rent taxes, energy security and
infrastructure with legislators at a state and federal level.
She is also a registered lobbyist representing several
companies. A former lawyer and Member of Parliament
(
MP), Megan has chaired the North West Iron Ore Alliance
and was a Director of the Esperance Port Authority
for six years.
Here, Megan discusses the benefits that flow from
major resource projects and poses questions about
how these benefits might best be maximised – should
companies that ‘do the right thing’ be recognised by
governments in a meaningful way and conversely:
is it time to penalise those companies that do not
consider the ‘big picture’? Megan’s reflections are,
of course, uniquely hers and do not necessarily represent
the views of her clients.
MEGAN ANWYL
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MAGNETITE NETWORK
Several years ago, in the 2010 edition of
Minesite
,
I wrote that the year could be characterised as the
‘
year of the tax’. Carbon pricing and the minerals
resource rent tax (MRRT) have since commenced
and these issues have dominated MagNet’s agenda
in 2012. Premier Colin Barnett has also launched a
review into the state royalty system, causing some
in the industry to fear future royalty increases.
Magnetite has been excluded from this, due to it
being a concentrate ore and requiring substantial
processing in order to produce a saleable product.
Some lessons can be learned from the MRRT
debate. The mining industry is cynical about
politicians, but I draw a parallel – there is an
increased cynicism in the community towards
the mining industry. It is time for the industry to
pull together to demonstrate its overall social and
economic benefit to the wider community.
It is always risky to give political commentary,
even in less volatile times. Yet as we approach the
March 2013 state election, and expect a federal
election by the third quarter of 2013, it is worth
reflecting on the ways that the mining industry as
a whole is perceived in the community. Because,
make no mistake, the politicians vying for election
are heavily influenced by what the public tell them
and do not just rely on polling. This is particularly
obvious in small mining towns.
Given the digital age and social media, resource
projects are vulnerable to community veto. Look to
the rejection of coal mining in Margaret River, and
another example is the federal government’s recent
introduction of super-trawler legislation, which some
say was in response to
Get-Up
style campaigning.
Corporate social responsibility
Large resource companies have sophisticated
corporate affairs teams that specialise in strategic
planning and building community and stakeholder
relations on an ongoing basis; an effort which
cannot always be matched by smaller companies.
It is important to consider however, what kind of
community engagement and sponsorship actions
your company and/or your contractors have in place.
In times of global financial uncertainty and
downturn, companies will come under increased
scrutiny. Changes to work practices such as fly-in fly-
out (FIFO), and the use of contractors and migration
RFDS General Manager Nursing and Primary Health Care, Gabrielle West, and
Karara Mining CEO Steve Murdoch launch a new mobile dental and primary health care clinic
MINESITE 2012
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