Community Relations
Mount Gibson is committed to the principles and practices of good corporate and environmental citizenship.

Since establishing the Tallering Peak hematite mining operation in 1994, the Company has developed close partnerships with;

• Local Communities
• Local Governments, and
• Local businesses throughout the Mid West region of Western Australia

To support the community and aid the development of infrastructure within the Mullewa Shire Council, Mount Gibson has established a fund with the Mullewa Shire Council for the public benefit of the citizens of that Shire.

An annual contribution from Mount Gibson is to be made to this fund whilst it is mining at Tallering Peak. Mount Gibson is committed, wherever possible, to purchasing goods and services from local businesses and local communities. As one of the largest employers in the Mid West region, Mount Gibson is committed to a policy of local employment.

Mount Gibson is proud to sponsor and support a wide range of local community sporting and cultural events and social activities throughout the Mid West region.

As a result of its successful takeover of Aztec Resources, Mount Gibson has acquired the Koolan Island project hematite project, and the responsibility for managing existing good relations between the mine and the traditional owners of the land in the Yampi Sound area, as defined by the Koolan Island Co-existence Deed between the Company and the Dambimangari (Dambina-Ngardi) people.

The Deed, signed in April 2006, provides for construction of a mining operation at Koolan Island to commence in order to for the Company to achieve its goal of shipping the first ore in 2007, in return for a range of outcomes for the traditional owners, including employment and training opportunities and new business opportunities, that will benefit local indigenous communities in the Kimberley region.

The Company is actively engaged in partnership with local indigenous communities in the Mid West region of Western Australia. Mount Gibson has worked hard to consult with and engage the local indigenous communities in the development and operation of its mines.

For example, at Tallering Peak, the Company has worked closely with both the Mullewa Wadjari and Wajarri Elders to develop the mine from an exploration concept through to a continuous roster mining operation.

This has involved establishing funds to assist:

• the advancement of aboriginal law and culture;
• a monitoring and liaison committee supervising adherence to employment and other obligations; and
• the training and education of local aboriginals

Environment
Responsible environmental practices are essential to the Company’s operational and financial performance and to the future of the mining industry in general. Mount Gibson employs industry best practices to ensure that the natural environment is protected and responsibly managed, in areas where it operates.

For example, the Company conducted extensive flora and fauna surveys at Extension Hill, and throughout the Mt Gibson Ranges, to ensure that any endangered or potentially significant local fauna and flora communities were identified, prior to the commencement of exploration and mining operations.

In 2006, the Western Australian government’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) granted environmental approval for the Extension Hill DSO project, subject to a series of restrictions, due to the possible presence of potentially significant floral communities in the Extension Hill area of the Mt Gibson Ranges.

Mount Gibson appealed against the EPA’s restrictions because the methodology used by the EPA to assess the significance of such floral communities was fundamentally flawed, and threatened to halt future iron ore exploration and mining activities throughout the Mid West region of Western Australia.