What is the Fund?

Key Achievements

Fund History

Fund History

The Rio Tinto WA Future Fund was launched in August 2001 by Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Mr Leigh Clifford and Western Australia's Premier, Dr Geoff Gallop.

The Fund was established to support community, environment, social and economic programs that can contribute to the future development of Western Australia, the welfare of its people and overall economic prosperity.

Prior to the launch of the Fund, Rio Tinto conducted an extensive consultation process with opinion leaders in Western Australia, in order to gain their thoughts about priority issues facing the state.

Questions included:

How can WA be best equipped to grow and prosper equitably?
How can both government and the private sector play a role in enabling that growth?
What kind of new economic and business partnerships are necessary to ensure equitable state or regional growth?
What kind of community do people want to live in?
How can the best experiences of community development be shared?

The opinions of Western Australia's leaders provided Rio Tinto with insights about the challenges faced by the community and ways to respond by utilising available resources - people, money and ideas. A summary of these opinions is provided in Sharing the Views.

During the first 18 months of its operation, the Fund supported 29 different projects. While diverse in both nature and geographic spread, these projects shared a common aim. They all sought to make Western Australia a better place to live and work, as well as enhance the sustainability of various industries and regions.

Historical Partnerships

The following list describes partnerships that the Fund has supported throughout its operation. Current partnerships are profiled in the Partnerships section of this site.

Carnaby's Cockatoo The Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo habitat project is an initiative of the Men of the Trees Group, with assistance from Birds Australia and the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund.	Carnarvon Youth Development Officer The Carnarvon Youth Coordinating Network aims to address serious community issues relating to safety, youth, social and economic factors in the town, located in the north west of Western Australia. A Youth Development Officer has been appointed to guide these issues.
Case Studies In Sustainability Professor Peter Newman, head of the Western Australian Government’s Sustainability Unit, has collated more than 40 "best example" sustainability case studies from throughout the state and compiled them onto a CD and website.	Community Development Foundation The Community Development Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works with the public and private sectors to bring about lasting change in Western Australian communities.
Designing Futures Designing Futures is an innovative strategy developed by FORM to stimulate sustainable growth in Western Australia*s creative industries.	Foodbank (WA) Foodbank (WA) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides in excess of one million kilograms of food to womens refuges, childrens services, the aged, Aboriginal people and many other people in need.
Indigenous Work History of WA A group of Indigenous researchers from five Western Australian universities is working to create a Western Australian Indigenous Work History.	Jigalong Community Jigalong Community wishes to become a Local Government Authority under the Western Australian Local Government Act. This is seen as an important step in accessing government funds and would bring the community into the third tier of government.
Kulunga Child Health Research Network The Kulunga program is a joint initiative between TVW telethon Institute for Child Health research and the Western Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled health Organisations. Kulunga aims to ensure that community based and culturally relevant research benefits indigenous children and families in Western Australia.	Mining Hall of Fame (Kalgoorlie) The Mining Hall of Fame in Kalgoorlie, with support from the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund is delivering educational programs that are designed to support classroom curriculum objectives about mining and minerals.
Naragebup Rockingham Regional Environment Centre Naragebup is a non-profit environment centre that is community-owned and operated. It aims to provide constructive, integrated and educational programs that promote the benefits of managing the environment to sustain quality of life.	NEWROC Salinity The North Eastern Wheatbelt Regional Organisation of Councils is striving to develop best practice drainage guidelines as well as investigate potential uses of the local groundwater which is creating salinity problems.
Operation Bigfoot Initially commencing in May 2002, Operation Leo recently made the transition to Operation Bigfoot, a programme that is focussed on the scientific descriptions and analysis of the remarkable fossil discoveries made in caves beneath the Nullarbor Plain in 2002.	Operation Pilbara The Australian Theatre for Young People, in association with Karratha Youth Theatre, implemented Operation Pilbara, a community outreach and residency program in the Shire of Roebourne region. Operation Pilbara included arts development workshops in a seven Pilbara communities and culminated in a major community event in November 2002.
Partnerships for Success The Rio Tinto WA Future Fund and the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation have formed a partnership to implement Partnerships for Success - an Indigenous education programme - in Carnarvon and Kununurra.	Rio Tinto Volunteer Management Scheme Following a pilot of the Rio Tinto Volunteer Management Scheme in Tom Price and Albany, the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund is now working with the Department of Sport and Recreation to address issues relating to the decline and effective management of volunteers, particularly in regional areas.
Shire of Roebourne Youth Development Officer The Shire of Roebourne, with support from the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, has employed a Youth Development Officer.	Sports Challenge Sports Challenge is a non-profit organisation that uses trained mentors and the medium of sport and hands on activities to develop to improve life skills with children and adolescents. By empowering young people to use more of their own potential, improved relationships with peers, family, school and community have been achieved.
State Community Leadership Plan The WA Community Leadership Workshop, facilitated by the Department of Local Government and Regional Development, was held at the University of Western Australia on 5 and 6 April 2002. The Workshop was designed to assist in development of a WA Community Leadership Plan, which was launched in December 2002.	Stepping Stones: Creating Healthy Habitats Stepping Stones: Creating Healthy Habitats is a community education and ecological program developed by Greening Australia (WA) in partnership with the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund.
Telecentre Support Unit The Telecentre Support Unit of the Department of Local Government and Regional Development’s Capacity Building Division is intending to establish new technology and service delivery opportunities in remote indigenous communities in Western Australia.	Today's Science for Your Tomorrow Today*s Science for Your Tomorrow is an innovative program bringing prominent Australian science speakers to remote parts of Western Australia. The program is run by STAR (Science & Technology Awareness Raising).
Vision WA The University of WA, through the Vision WA program, hosts an annual seminar series, comprising public lectures on topics of importance to the future of Western Australia.	Working Communities Working Communities is a community development programme that addresses economic downturn and population decline in regional Western Australia. This is achieved by building capacity within communities to stimulate job creation, skills development and enterprise opportunities.

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