Newmont's Australia operating group has been working with our Aboriginal neighbors for years to find ways in which we can help improve the livelihoods of the Traditional Owners of the land we mine.

Our Tanami operation, located in Australia's Northern Territory, has been working with the Central Land Council (CLC), which represents the Warlpiri people and other local Aboriginal Australian landowners, to provide training and employment opportunities within the mining industry.

In partnership with the CLC, Tanami created a unique, 10-week training program providing Indigenous people with skills to work at a mine. Trainees are selected with the assistance of the Traditional Owners (Aboriginal Australian landowners) via an extensive culturally appropriate screening and assessment process designed to identify candidates unable to meet the entry-level requirements of the mining industry.

Upon completion of the training program, the participants have guaranteed employment with Newmont if they desire, moving into a labor pool and receiving more training specific to the job of their choice. If they choose to work elsewhere, the program qualifies them for a nationally recognized certificate, building transferable skills useful throughout the industry.

Part of the program's success has been allowing participants to assimilate into the life on a mine site by working modified shifts and rosters until they have fully adapted This assimilation process includes a formal mentoring program, which results in a much higher retention rate of Indigenous staff.

Retention is as high as 91%, which is significantly greater than most other mining companies. The experience at Tanami is but one example of how Newmont in Australia is working to assist Aboriginal Australians in achieving their economic goals while respecting their culture and status.

However, such experiences also have provided Newmont with a growing understanding of the barriers that Aboriginal Australians face in trying to fulfill their aspirations.

While the minerals industry is the largest private sector employer of Aboriginal Australians, barriers to their employment still exist within the broader mining sector. To help reduce these barriers, the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), of which Newmont is a member, worked with national Aboriginal Australians to approach the Commonwealth of Australia.

Together, the groups proposed a new way of working together as equal partners to ensure that the Aboriginal people benefit more broadly from mining.

After a series of discussions, the parties agreed to work across traditional commercial, cultural and government boundaries to expand the application of successful programs, such as the program at Newmont's Tanami operations, and develop new, practical projects to support Aboriginal Australian communities' aspirations for economic independence.

In June 2005, the MCA and the Commonwealth signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share responsibility for achieving measurable and sustainable improvements for Indigenous people, with a particular focus on employment and business development. Additional priorities in the agreement include improving Indigenous peoples' access to literacy and numeracy education; work-readiness initiatives; fitness-for-work programs; financial services; family support, childcare and counseling; and human and financial capital to facilitate enterprise development.

In 2006, the partners began implementing pilot programs in eight Australian mining regions, three of which are operated by Newmont: Tanami, Boddington and Jundee. These pilots build on Newmont's existing initiatives, providing greater coordination from government agencies and increased financial support. In turn, this enables Newmont to leverage its existing programs across more of its operating sites.

Significant progress is already evident. By coordinating and pooling resources, we are getting strong results in these pilot projects. Access to jobs and economic benefits is being achieved while at the same time eliminating program waste and duplication.

Related Links:
Building Diversity at a New Mine
Indigenous People
Involving the Community in Environmental Matters
Resettlement