One of these projects is being conducted in the Upper Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, using Anglo Coal’s open-cut Drayton mine as the case study. Drayton is one of several large mines located in the Shire of Muswellbrook.

The research is being conducted by the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM), located at the University of Queensland with funding from the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) and in-kind support from Anglo Coal Australia.

One of the main project tasks is to help Drayton put together a community impact monitoring and management strategy. The case study will form the basis for developing advisory materials for wider use in the industry.

Some 27 local stakeholders were interviewed during July and August to identify issues and concerns among the local community. Some interesting initial findings have emerged, said CSRM director David Brereton.

“Most people recognise that Muswellbrook has benefited economically from mining, however, they would like to see a greater focus on employing locals and supporting local businesses, and more employment and training opportunities for young people,” he said.

One of the areas of considerable concern in the community was the ‘cumulative’ impacts of intensive mining activity on the community and the environment. Also, 12 hour shifts were regarded negatively in relation to the impact they have had on families. It was found many people remained sceptical about how committed mining companies were to voluntarily improving their social and environmental performance.

Furthermore, the community wanted more engagement with the industry, particularly around issues relating to closure.

“We are now working with Drayton on strategies to address these issues. In parallel, we are writing up the process so that it can be adapted for use by other mines. Another project output will be a sourcebook of community impact indicators,” Brereton said.

The second ACARP funded project, Socio-economic impact assessment and community engagement to reduce conflict over mine operations, is being conducted by Central Queensland University, targeting mines in the Bowen Basin.

This project aims to assist mining companies develop processes to engage with communities and develop impact assessment and planning processes that can be agreed by their stakeholders. Researchers hope to deliver processes for mining companies to more effectively assess the social and economic impacts that occur during coal mining operations, particularly in planning for events such as mine closures.

The key focus in this stage is to review what techniques are being used to predict economic and social impacts, assess the range of impacts that have been predicted for different mines, and identify changes in assessment processes over time.