Referentes Nacionales

This section depicts the profile of the mining companies surveyed. It includes characteristics such as the job title of the respondent representing the mining company, location of the mining company operations, and the number of employees. This demographic data will allow comparison between different groups of mining companies surveyed.

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8.3.1. Respondents of the Survey

The respondents of the survey occupied a variety of roles within their respective organisations. The majority of the respondents occupy either one of two roles: managing director (28%) or an officer responsible for the social and environmental performance (28%) of the mining company they work for. Two of the survey participants (11%) occupied the position of geologist. The remaining six hold different positions (see Table 8.1) such as exploration director, chairman or external relations manager.

Table 8.1 Survey of Mining Companies – Positions Occupied by the Respondents Respondent’s Position Response _Count Response _Percent

Managing Director/CEO 5 28%

An Officer responsible for sustainability, environment,

health65 _{5 28%}

Geologist 2 11%

External Relations Manager 1 5.5%

Development Manager 1 5.5% Exploration Director 1 5.5% Chairman 1 5.5% Principal 1 5.5% Administrator 1 5.5% Total 18 100%

8.3.2. Size of the Mining Companies and Location of their Operations

The majority of the mining companies surveyed (13 companies, or 72%) have operations located in just one state in Australia (Table 8.2 on the next page), among which five companies operate in WA (38%), three in SA (23%), two in QLD (15%), two in VIC (15%), and one in TAS (8%). Three companies (17%) have operations in two states: NT and SA; NT and WA, and NSW and WA correspondingly. Additionally, one company has operations located in three states: SA, VIC, and WA; whilst the last remaining company has operations in five states: NT, QLD, SA, WA and NSW.

65 _{Environmental Officer; Sustainability Manager; Health Safety Environment Community (HSEC)} Coordinator; Head of Environment; General Manager Health, Safety, Environment & Quality

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Table 8.2 Survey of Mining Companies – Locations of Respondent Company Operations NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA NSW 0 1 NT 0 1 1 QLD 2 SA 3 TAS 1 VIC 2 WA 5

As displayed in Table 8.3, the majority of the mining companies surveyed (14 companies, or 78%) are small with their number of employees being in the range of 1- 250. However, two companies (11%) are large with more than 1000 employees. The remaining two companies have either more than 251 but less than 500 employees or more than 501 but less than 1000 employees respectively.

Table 8.3 Survey of Mining Companies – Size of Respondent Company

Number of Employees Response Count Response Percent

1-250 14 78%

251-500 1 5.5.%

501-1000 1 5.5%

More than 1000 2 11%

Total 18 100%

The foregoing discussion focused on the demographic information of the participants in the survey including position the respondent holds in the mining companies, the size of the company and the location of its operations. The following sections analyse and discuss the data collected in relation to the research questions posed in this study, starting with the engagement organised by mining companies to explore the information needs of NGOs.

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8.4. Results of the Survey Questions Addressing Research Question 1

The first Research Question posed in this study focuses on the potential social and environmental information needs of NGOs. According to the mining companies which participated in the survey, the most sought after environmental information by NGOs concerns the amount and levels of emissions, effluents and waste (71%) and their minimisation (71%) which are closely followed by the information on land use and rehabilitation (63%). Additionally, mining companies believe that NGOs wish to see information on the usage (57%) and the reduction (57%) in usage of materials, energy and water as well as impacts on biodiversity (57%). Half of the respondents indicated that the information focused on mineral resource depletion was not of interest to NGOs (see Table 8.4). One respondent left a comment in relation to the information needs of NGOs. They claimed that “it is difficult to understand what information they find useful, if any at all, and also difficult to understand if they are interested in productive engagement”.

Table 8.4 Survey of Mining Companies – Perceived Environmental Information Needs of NGOs

Information Type

Perception of Mining Companies of the Environmental Information Needs of NGOs Strongly

Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Response Count Materials, Energy, Water

- Usage 0 7% (1) 35% (5) 50% (7) 7% (1) 14

Materials, Energy, Water

- Reduction in Usage 0 7% (1) 35% (5) 50% (7) 7% (1) 14 Emissions, Effluents,

Waste – Amounts and

Levels 0 7% (1) 21% (3) 71% (10) 0 14 Emissions, Effluents, Waste - Minimisation 0 7% (1) 21% (3) 64% (9) 7% (1) 14 Impacts on Biodiversity 0 14% (2) 28% (4) 42% (6) 14% (2) 14 Mineral Resource Depletion 7% (1) 42% (6) 28% (4) 21% (3) 0 14

Land Use and

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With regards to the social information which, according to mining companies NGOs would like to see reported (see Table 8.5), the most sought after information is concerned with the impacts on local communities (93%, or 13 out of 14 companies agreed or strongly agreed). Eleven out of fourteen companies (79%) perceived that information focused on whether mining industry respects Indigenous rights was of high interest to NGOs. More than a half of companies (57%) agreed that information covering types and rates of injuries and occupational diseases was also of importance to NGOs.

Half of the companies considered information on employee training and education as well as total number of employees from the minority groups to be of interest to NGOs. Information regarding the total number of employees was more likely to be sought after by NGOs, whilst information focused on consultation and negotiations with employees was considered as being of no interest to NGOs.

Table 8.5 Survey of Mining Companies – Perceived Social Information Needs of NGOs

Information Type

Perception of Mining Companies of the Social Information Needs of NGOs

Strongly

Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Response Count Total Number of

Employees 0

28%

(4) 28% (4) 42% (6) 0 14 Total Number of

Employees from Minority

groups 0

21%

(3) 28% (4) 50% (7) 0 14 Employee Training and

Education 0 28% (4) 21% (3) 36% (5) 14% (2) 14 Consultation and Negotiations with Employees 0 50% (7) 14% (2) 36% (5) 0 14 Types and rates of injuries

and occupational diseases 7% (1)

14%

(2) 21% (3) 57% (8) 0 14 Respect for Indigenous

rights 0 14% (2) 7% (1) 79% (11) 0 14 Impacts on Local Communities 0 7% (1) 0 79% (11) 14% (2) 14

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The survey results show that according to mining companies, NGOs are interested in a number of different types of environmental information, with the exception of mineral resource depletion. This is surprising given that it is one of the main concerns raised by stakeholders with regards to the performance of the mining industry (Azapagic, 2004; Ali and O’Faircheallaigh, 2007; Yellishatty et al, 2009; Mudd, 2013). In relation to the social information needs of NGOs, the majority of the included information types were regarded to be of interest to NGOs except for the information focused on consultation and negotiations with employees. The next section focuses on whether the social and environmental information regarded to be of interest to NGOs is covered in the reports of mining companies.