Business with Communities

Rio Tinto sees community involvement as a natural part of successful business practice, because the community's views of the company can impact on our ability to operate effectively. To continue mining successfully, it is important that we operate in a positive environment and are accepted as a business with expertise and integrity.

To facilitate relationships with communities, Rio Tinto established the Business with Communities program in 1995. Through this program we foster partnerships that help fulfil our need to maintain productive relationships with our stakeholders, and in turn, can extend the dimension of our mutual interests.

Examples of current Business with Communities partnerships include:

Australian Museum
Australian Science Olympiads
Centre for Appropriate Technology
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Deakin University - Corporate Citizenship Research Unit
Earthwatch Institute
University of Queensland Koala Study Program
WWF Australia

To achieve agreed outcomes, we not only provide funds, but also contribute technical and business management skills and participate in the planning and implementation of projects initiated under each partnership. Through these business-like relationships, the partners seek mutual benefits.

The Business with Communities program is linked philosophically and functionally with the Rio Tinto Communities Policy, which states:

"Good management of community relationships is as necessary to our business success as the management of our operations. Good performance requires all of us to accept responsibility for community relationships. We promote active partnerships at international, national, regional and local levels. They are based on mutual commitment, trust and openness."

In WA, each Rio Tinto operation has a range of community support programs that are targeted to local community needs and are consistent with each operation's approach. The Rio Tinto WA Future Fund does not replace these local community programs, rather the Fund takes a holistic approach to WA. The Fund views the State as its community, in recognition of the importance of the mining sector to WA and Rio Tinto's role in creating a sustainable future for the State.