Engagement
Our approach to community engagement involves providing information about our activities in a timely, clear, open and transparent manner as well as seeking feedback from communities to understand potential impacts, so they can be avoided or mitigated.
Communication activities during 2007 included:
- Community newsletters and fact sheets for the Mount Pleasant project, Hunter Valley South project and the Lower Hunter lands project
- Community Trust annual report outlining projects supported and their outcomes
- Redevelopment of the Coal & Allied website, including key information about our operations, publications and contact details.
Coal & Allied has found its community consultative committees to be an important and effective way of consulting with local communities. Separate committees are now in place at the Mount Pleasant Project, Mount Thorley Warkworth and Hunter Valley Operations. The committees provide a forum for Coal & Allied and its local communities to share information and provide feedback on existing or proposed activities.
Other consultation activities during 2007 included:
- Lower Hunter lands - Coal & Allied consulted extensively with communities in the Lower Hunter to explore opportunities for residential development on 840ha of its land
- The Mount Pleasant Project Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) have been developed with input from community members, interest groups, government bodies and key stakeholders. Five focus groups were established to gather feedback on a range of environmental issues for input into the Mount Pleasant Project's EMPs. Participants will be provided with updates as the plans are developed in 2008 and submitted to government for approval.
