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Community Report 2015Working with our communities to achieve their future aspirations
2015 has been a transformational year for Evolution. Since our last community report we have welcomed two
new operations – Cowal and Mungari – and their communities to the Evolution family. We are proud of the
strong relationships we have developed with all of our communities, and we will continue to work closely with
our stakeholders to achieve outcomes of mutual beneit.
In response to feedback collected in our irst stakeholder satisfaction survey (2014) in which we sought to understand what it means to be a good neighbour and valued member of the community, we have
implemented a number of initiatives including our irst Shared Value Project, a cultural awareness training program, an improved complaint management system, and a communications approach tailored to community
preferences.
This report provides a snapshot of some of the community initiatives, sponsorships and partnerships we have
been involved in throughout 2015. We look forward to continuing to work together with you, our community
stakeholders, in 2016 on the matters that are important to you.
Welcome to Evolution’s 2015 Community Report
Evolution strives to build relationships with our community stakeholders based on trust, mutual respect and
genuine partnership. We want the communities in which we operate to be better off overall for us having been
there.
To help create sustainable value for our communities, we focus the majority of our community investment on initiatives that will continue to beneit the community well beyond the life of our mines. We share ideas and seek opportunities to collaborate with our community stakeholders via our Shared Value Projects which aim to generate long term outcomes in the areas of local economic development, education and training, and health.
Everyone at Evolution has a role to play in building positive relationships with our local communities. We are
proud that many of our employees volunteer their time in and out of work hours to give back to the community.
With each decision we make we consider the impact that decision could have on our community stakeholders,
take steps to ensure that any impacts are minimised and regularly communicate in an open, timely and
transparent way.
Our community stakeholders include anyone who may be affected by or has an interest in our activities. This
includes landholders, local Indigenous communities and Traditional Owners, neighbours, our employees
who live locally, local government and local businesses, many of which provide goods and services to our
operations.
Our approach to Community Relations
Cover: local kids enjoy the Edna May Mine Tour
Our operations
Evolution owns and operates seven Australian gold
mining operations, detailed below. We employ over
1500 people nationally, and are Australia’s second
largest ASX-listed gold producer.
Most of our sites are located on the traditional lands
of Aboriginal people and we work closely with the
Traditional Owners of the land to ensure we respect
their cultural heritage.
Where possible, we focus on hiring local people and using the services of local businesses and suppliers. Our
community initiatives are focussed on beneiting those communities in which we operate.
Our Cracow operation in Queensland has produced more than one million ounces of gold since 2004. Cracow is located on the traditional lands of the Wulli Wulli People. The underground mine employs around 220 people (~5% local) and supports the local communities of Cracow and Theodore.
The Edna May open pit operation in Western Australia recently had its best year since operations commenced
six years ago and has produced more than 400,000 ounces of gold in that time. Edna May employs around 145 people (~40% local) and is located near the northern end of the Westonia Greenstone Belt, supporting the local communities of Westonia and Merredin.
Mt Rawdon in Queensland is a single open pit mine and has produced more than 1.4 million ounces of gold since 2001. The mine is surrounded by the traditional lands of the Port Curtis Coral Coast People, and is a residential site employing approximately 190 full time staff (and 60 contractors) from the local communities of Mt Perry and Gin Gin.
Our long-life Mt Carlton operation was opened in 2013 and was the irst new gold mine opened in Queensland for more than a decade. The operation now employs approximately 133 full time employees (~5% local) and 36 contractors, and supports the local communities of Gumlu, Home Hill, Bowen, Ayr and Brandon. Mt Cartlon is located on the traditional lands of the Birriah People.
Pajingo in North Queensland has produced more than 3 million ounces since 1996. The underground
operation employs around 185 full time employees and 35 contractors. Pajingo is a residential site, predominantly employing from the nearby town of Charters Towers. Pajingo is located on the traditional lands of the Kudjala People and the Birriah People.
New to Evolution in 2015, Cowal is an open pit mine with production from a number of different faces within a
single pit. Cowal is a residential site employing approximately 280 permanent employees and 30 contractors
from local communities in the Shires of Bland, Lachlan and Forbes. The mine is located on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri People.
Evolution’s newest operation, Mungari is based in Kalgoorlie-Boulder - Australia’s largest outback city. The Mungari operation is a residential site that includes the Frog’s Leg (underground) and White Foil (open pit) mines and employs 260 full time employees and 82 contractors locally from the Shires of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Coolgardie.
Our Shared Value Projects
Evolution’s Shared Value Projects are legacy projects that will continue to beneit the community long beyond the life of the mine. They are aimed at supporting our communities to be resilient, to thrive and to
be sustainable for the long term through local economic development, education and training outcomes or
sustainable health outcomes.
Our irst Shared Value Project, a partnership with Gudjuda Reference Group Aboriginal Corporation in Home Hill near our Mt Carlton site, has been progressing well. Evolution has helped Gudjuda to establish intensive small crop production of goods to sell locally and interstate, providing a proit for Gudjuda to reinvest in their training programs. In 2016 Evolution will be helping Gudjuda to establish a nursery that will grow native plants and shrubs from seedlings to sell to various businesses in the local area (including Evolution) for revegetation projects.
Clockwise from top right: the irst rows of seedlings planted at Home Hill; the irst crop of
bird’s eye chillies sent to Sydney Markets for sale;
Gudjuda planting seedlings; and the welcome
sculpture at Gudjuda’s training facility
“Without Evolution partnering us for two years on this, the project would be at
a standstill. It would all just be a dream,” said Eddie Smallwood, Chairman of
Gudjuda. “When we have this project up and running it will give so many people job
opportunities. Being self-suficient is a key part of our long term business plan.”
This project has already created new Indigenous jobs, provided industry-related transferable skills for Indigenous people in the region and will generate much needed revenue for Gudjuda to grow their training arm. The irst crop, comprising yellow capsicum and bird’s eye chillies, was picked by Gudjuda in June 2015 and sent to Sydney Markets for sale. Gudjuda have applied the learnings from their irst crop to ensure future crops are successful and return maximum proits.
The success of the project has helped Gudjuda gain State Government funding under the Skilling
Queenslanders for Work program to provide training for 20 unemployed Indigenous people from the region in
conservation and land management. These trainees will be working on the Shared Value Project to develop their skills. “Providing these 20 traineeships would not have been possible without Evolution’s support,” said Eddie.
If you have an idea for a Shared Value Project, we would love to hear from you!
Our community initiatives
Each of our seven operations is set amongst vibrant rural communities with their own special qualities and character.
Our partnering opportunities and community investments are therefore unique and tailored to the needs of the local
community.
Evolution contributes to communities in several ways: local sponsorships, donations and partnerships; training,
apprenticeship and scholarship programs; local employment and local procurement; emergency services where we
are often irst respondents to a local accident or incident; and royalties.
Below are some highlights from our community initiatives throughout 2015.
Skills program for Indigenous workers (Mt Carlton)
Five Indigenous trainees from Townsville and Charters Towers secured permanent employment with Evolution
after successfully completing on the job training and receiving their qualiication.
Mt Carlton General Manager, Richard Hay, said “these ive people have put in a huge effort over the last 12 months, they have applied themselves in a positive way
and now we as a company are very happy that we can
offer them permanent jobs”.
John, one of the trainees, said he was glad to have a good job with a company that was prepared to take the time to train people and “give them a shot at the future.”
Meals on Wheels (Edna May)
Evolution has partnered with Cater Care and Westonia
Community Resource Centre to deliver a Meals on
Wheels program for some of the senior citizens of
Westonia.
Dubbed by some as “the Evolution of Care”, the program sees three meals per week delivered to around 15
senior residents in the community. The initiative makes
it possible for the recipients to stay comfortably in their
homes and receive not only a nutritious meal, but also
a friendly smile and chat. Recently, local children have
also become involved in assisting with the delivery of
meals after school.
“I do not have the right words to explain the gratitude,
excitement, appreciation and everything else that goes
with the delivering of meals to our seniors,” said Terri Blake, Manager of Westonia Community Resource Centre.
Country Hope fundraiser (Cowal)
Country Hope is a family support organisation for country children diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening
illnesses. Cowal employees volunteering in their spare
time started an initiative to raise funds for Country Hope through the sale of snacks and soft drinks at the vending
machines on the mine site, with stock provided at cost
by Bernardi’s IGA. In 2015, funds raised totalled almost double that of previous years.
“When you live in the country, the cost of getting medical
treatment from specialists based in Sydney or Melbourne
can really add up”, said Country Hope General Manager and Family Liaison Oficer, Ellie Webb. “This donation from Cowal Gold Operation will help to ease some of the inancial burden and worry experienced by families going through a dificult and emotionally draining time.”
Theodore Early Childhood Centre – Outback Mini
Mudder (Cracow)
The Outback Mini Mudder was established as a
fundraiser for the Theodore Early Childhood Centre – a
not-for-proit community run association providing a qualiied limited hours child care service, kindergarten and playgroup venue.
Evolution supplied UHF radios and registration packs, and provided a risk assessment template for use by the
organising committee to ensure competitor safety. Once
again, our people demonstrated their commitment to
the community, with seven generous Cracow volunteers
helping with inal safety checks, set up, registration and stafing check points. The 2015 Mini Mudder exceeded the Centre’s expectations with over 200 people
competing and much needed proceeds going towards
running the Centre.
Goldields Wildlife Rehabilitators (Mungari) Goldields Wildlife Rehabilitators are dedicated to rescuing sick or injured wildlife in the Goldields region. The group relies on donations to provide specialty care, with the objective to have orphaned and injured wildlife rehabilitated and returned to their native habitat.
Evolution has provided funds that went towards feeding over 126
animals in the group’s care, allowing native wildlife to be rehabilitated
back into the goldields.
Community Emergency Response Equipment (Mt Rawdon)
Evolution has supplied essential emergency response equipment
for use by the local community including a satellite phone for the
SES to provide back-up communications in an emergency, and two
cardiac kits for the Care Flight Rescue service. Having the equipment available helps give the local community and service providers
conidence that they have the right tools to assist in an emergency.
Cracow Cemetery Project (Cracow)
In recent years, local Cracow residents and Evolution staff have
worked together to identify and mark the plots and names of
unmarked graves. The project ramped up in 2015 when a local RSL member highlighted the need to better maintain and respect this
signiicant part of Cracow’s history.
Evolution facilitated discussions with Council and the community
to identify options for the restoration of the Cracow Cemetery.
Improvements have so far included replacement of fences and
gates to protect and enhance the Cemetery’s surrounds. These
improvements are just the start of a longer term program of upgrades which will include an internal road and car park, gardens, shelter,
plaques and marking of unnamed graves.
Charters Towers Hospital – Errol the Elephant (Pajingo)
The Clinical Children’s Unit at Charters Towers Hospital have a new specialised examination table - in the shape of an elephant named
Errol!
Funds were donated by Evolution to purchase Errol, who has made examinations much easier as he is the perfect size to conduct proper
health checks on infants. Previously an adult examination table was used which made it dificult to work with children and babies. A bed was also donated by Evolution which has been used in the palliative
care unit and by parents staying overnight with their children.
Alison Stoneman from the Children’s Unit said “The kids have taken
to Errol really well and he has quickly become a distraction while
attempting to give children their immunisations.”
2015 was a busy year for our mine
emergency response teams who
were irst respondents to 23 off site incidents that occurred within
our local communities including
bushires, medical emergencies and motor vehicle incidents.
Our emergency crews assisted
some of our nearest neighbours
and community members until state
emergency authorities could arrive.
Top to bottom: Kalgoorlie Soldiers take a break
at Edna May; Endeavour Scholarship recipient
Kate Nixon; and participants celebrate inishing the Outback Mini Mudder
Mt Perry Skate Park (Mt Rawdon)
Evolution was proud sponsor of the Mt Perry Skate Park Project, which oficially opened in May 2015. The local kids of Mt Perry had been excited by the prospect of a skate park for years, but being a small town, funding had
been hard to come by.
The project was inally made possible through the support of local organisations and community groups,
as well as government funding. Evolution’s donation
contributed to associated elements of the skate park
including landscaping, shade covers, drinking fountain,
security lighting and signage.
Adopt-a-School (Mt Carlton and Pajingo)
Evolution are proud to continue their partnership with
2015 NRL Premiership winners, the North Queensland Cowboys, as part of the Adopt-A-School program.
Participating schools use their ‘adopted’ Cowboy as a role model for students to encourage the right
behaviours and build a healthy school community.
This year students participated in “Boots for the Bush”, an initiative that encourages footy players to donate
boots when they grow out of them so they can be
passed on to other kids in remote areas who may not be
able to afford or access them.
Students from Richmond Hill State School this year donated two full bins of footy boots to be sent to the
Northern Peninsula Area State School in Injinoo on Cape York.
Blokes from the Bush ishing charter (Pajingo) To give some struggling farmers a much needed break,
Evolution took eight graziers out on a Great Barrier Reef ishing charter after gaining an understanding of potential mental health issues that can be faced by men
of the land.
The ‘Blokes from the Bush’ had two days away from the farm, whilst ishing and relaxing with the charter crew and sharing time with old friends.
One farmer said it was his irst trip to the reef. “I’ve been on the land for 40 years and have never seen any other business do this, ever” he said.
Evolution partnered with Frontier Services, L&F Mine Transfers and Northern Conquest Fishing Charters to make the charter happen.
Endeavour and Wiradjuri Scholarships (Cowal)
The Cowal Endeavour Scholarship Program aims to help young people obtain qualiications and skills that they can bring back and use in the local community. 22 local
young people received a scholarship under the program
in 2015.
Kate Nixon, a 2013 Endeavour Scholarship recipient
is studying a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management. Kate recently participated in a
six week placement with Evolution’s Environment
Department which has led to a part time role in a ield that complements her studies and provides on the job experience.
“Not only has Evolution been able to provide much
needed inancial assistance for the costs associated with my studies, they have also offered a very friendly and
knowledgeable team for me to work with and learn so
much from,” said Kate.
In addition to the Endeavour Scholarships, Cowal run the
Wiradjuri Scholarship Program to beneit the Indigenous community throughout and beyond the life of the mine.
Jamie Hampton received a Wiradjuri Scholarship in 2013. He completed an Associate Degree in Policing Practice and was accepted into the NSW Police Force in 2015.
“Being selected as a recipient under the Wiradjuri Scholarship Program has been of great beneit to my studies and that support has played a key role in getting
me to the point I am at now,” Jamie said.
St John Ambulance Service (Edna May)
Evolution joined forces with the Westonia community to reinstate the much needed ambulance service which
closed in 2014 due to a lack of volunteers. Edna May recognised the risk to the community with the nearest
ambulance now some 60km away, and were keen to
assist in having the local ambulance service returned.
Edna May’s Emergency Response Team underwent St
John Ambulance training which enabled the ambulance to be reinstated to the Shire of Westonia in March
2015. The Westonia Community Resource Centre in
conjunction with St John Ambulance is now holding First Aid lessons to get community members accredited to drive the ambulance. This training builds skills and
capacity within the community to enable them to continue
to run the ambulance service well into the future.
Top to bottom:
Blokes from the Bush enjoy a ishing charter; the St John Ambulance Service is reinstated to Westonia Shire; Adopt-a-
School participants donate their footy boots; and Mt Carlton
Indigenous trainees celebrate completing their traineeships.
Kalgoorlie Soldiers Stomp from Perth to Kalgoorlie
(Mungari and Edna May) A walking group made up of Australian Army reservists,
called The Kalgoorlie Soldiers, ‘stomped’ their way from Perth to Kalgoorlie (570km) to raise awareness and funds for the Bravery Trust.
Two Mungari employees were part of the Soldiers walking
group and Evolution donated funds, fuel and food vouchers
to help our work mates support this worthy cause.
The Soldiers’ journey coincided with Evolution’s employee challenge to collectively walk 100,000km. When the Edna
May team discovered that the Soldiers would be stomping
by, they didn’t hesitate to offer their support. The Soldiers
were treated to lunch, had access to site physios, and were
invited to stay at camp so they could sleep in real beds
instead of swags!
After 17 days of walking, the Kalgoorlie Soldiers made it to the inish line having raised money to help the Bravery Trust provide inancial support to our veterans and their families who are suffering as a result of their service.
Lake Cowal Foundation (Cowal)
The Lake Cowal Foundation (LCF) is a not-for-proit Environmental Trust established to protect and enhance
Lake Cowal, a nationally signiicant wetland located in close proximity to Evolution’s Cowal operation. Whilst the
LCF is funded primarily by royalties from Evolution, it also attracts external funding and partnerships with other groups
and organisations.
More than 30 projects have been funded and run by LCF and its partners since its inception. In 2015, these included
a partnership with the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority and the West Wyalong Aboriginal Lands Council to conduct traditional Wiradjuri grass burning practices; and the launch of the book ‘Right around Lake Cowal’ which documents the history of the local area from a cultural and
environmental perspective.
In addition to funding, Evolution contributes to the
Foundation through employee time and in-kind support and we are proud of the positive environmental projects delivered as a result of our partnership.
In August 2015, an on-country Federal Court hearing in Theodore formally recognised the Wulli Wulli People as the Traditional Owners of the land where our Cracow operation is located. The Wulli Wulli group’s native title
claim covers an area of 5432 square kilometres, encompassing Theodore and Cracow and including National Forests and parts of the Dawson River.
This was a momentous event for the Wulli Wulli People and is the culmination of a lot of hard work and perseverance over many years. Des Dodd, who has represented his people since their claim was irst lodged in 2000, said at the event “Today’s determination acknowledges the Wulli Wulli People’s strong connection to the country where our ancestors walked, lived, held ceremonies, hunted, ished and gathered food. Lonesome Creek is the heart of our country … it holds special memory to me as I lived there with my aunties, uncles and
cousins and they taught me to catch yellow belly and eels for food. This is where I learnt about my people,
culture and tradition.”
Evolution employs ive permanent and three trainee Wulli Wulli People, and our Cracow Leadership Team were pleased to be able to attend with them to be part of this signiicant occasion. Cracow has enjoyed a very positive relationship with the Wulli Wulli People since the mine was irst established and we congratulate them on achieving this recognition.
Wulli Wulli Native Title Determination
Below:
Wulli Wulli applicants (Brian Clancy, Elliot Anderson, Jill Wilson, Neil Saltner, Robert Clancy, Ivan Saltner, Robert Bond, Elizabeth Blucher and Jill Wilson) and Elders (Aunty Agnes Hoehne & Aunty Rosie Dodd) with Her Honour
Justice Collier of the Federal Court at the consent determination held in Theodore on 13 August 2015.Photo credit: Jacinda Washington at Eaglehawk Moments
Evolution is committed to continuing to provide long-term outcomes for the communities we operate in.
We are actively looking for opportunities to implement more Shared Value Projects like the one we have with Gudjuda. We welcome ideas and feedback from the community on these at any stage.
In early 2016 Evolution will be conducting our second stakeholder satisfaction survey. The outcomes will be
shared throughout the year and in our 2016 Community Report. If you would like to get involved, contact your
site community representative (details overleaf).
We also look forward to strengthening our relationships with our community stakeholders and we welcome
feedback at any time on how we are doing.
Looking ahead
Evolution has a set of principles that guide our behaviour when interacting with the community
• Everyone plays a role in building positive Community Relations.
• We consider our community impact with each decision that we make.
• We strive to ensure that every interaction with our community stakeholders is positive and aligned
with our values.
• We communicate regularly with our stakeholders with integrity in an open, timely and transparent
way.
• We work closely with our stakeholders, we share ideas and we actively seek opportunities to
collaborate.
• We value our stakeholders, respect their beliefs, backgrounds and aspirations and we strive to
achieve outcomes of mutual beneit.
Our Community Principles
Evolution Mining is a leading Australian gold company formed
in November 2011. We own and operate seven gold mines in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales, holding a
100% interest in all of our operations. We employ over 1500 people nationally, and are Australia’s second largest ASX-listed gold producer.
If you would like to provide feedback to Evolution’s community team or have a query or concern, please
contact us at [email protected]
Alternatively, contact us at a speciic location below:
SYDNEY OFFICE
Level 30, 175 Liverpool Street Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9696 2900
PERTH OFFICE
Level 3, 1 Altona Street West Perth WA 6005 (08) 6216 9700
COWAL OPERATIONS (NSW)
(02) 6975 3454
CRACOW OPERATIONS (QLD)
(07) 4993 7900 [email protected]
EDNA MAY OPERATIONS (WA)
(08) 9046 8000 [email protected]
MT CARLTON OPERATIONS (QLD)
(07) 4422 0100 [email protected]
MT RAWDON OPERATIONS (QLD)
(07) 4156 2222 [email protected]
MUNGARI OPERATIONS (WA)
(08) 9268 4000
PAJINGO OPERATIONS (QLD)
(07) 4793 1200 [email protected]
Below: the North Queensland Cowboys shared
their 2015 NRL Premiership trophy with students from Gumlu State School as part of Evolution’s
Adopt-a-School partnership with the Cowboys
