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2022 Case Studies and Insights

In 2021, Iluka entered a three year partnership with Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute to conduct research on the movement ecology of Carnaby’s Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) in the Cataby region. The research aims to determine flock movement and habitat use across the region and surrounding areas. Researchers use non-invasive GPS tracking to capture frequent, fine-scale movements of birds, as well as satellite tracking to capture broader bird movements through the landscape.

In 2022, a 5-year-old female bird at Cataby was confirmed to have been born 70 kilometres to the north, indicating mixing between these bird populations. This was the first recorded instance of a bird from these northern populations breeding at Cataby since monitoring began 20+ years ago.

In 2022 Iluka successfully met the requirements for relinquishment of its Wagerup mineral sands mine in Western Australia.

To relinquish a mine site of its environmental obligations, rehabilitation must be completed to a high standard and all regulatory requirements met.

For Iluka, this was the first site-wide sign off obtained, and one of few mine sites closed under contemporary closure requirements in Western Australia This followed the sign off of individual lots at the Iluka’s Yoganup extended mine in 2016. Iluka has been working at the Wagerup mineral sands mine since 2004, with mining operations finishing in 2009 and land rehabilitation completed in 2015.

In 2019 the Wagerup mine closure plan was approved by the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety which set out completion criteria. Before progressing its application to relinquish Wagerup, Iluka was required to demonstrate effective management of any residual risks associated the burial of by-products. .The completion report was approved by the Department in early 2022.

Achieving mine site relinquishment is a long, complex process that requires collaboration between cross-functional teams and regulators. Iluka is proud to achieve this outcome and will embed learnings of the process in future relinquishment projects.

Iluka Resources received the prestigious Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence in 2022 for its bespoke seeding machine Flora Restorer. Presented by the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, the award sets an example to industry of innovation and excellence.

The Flora Restorer tractor-drawn machine is Iluka’s innovative rehabilitation equipment design that dramatically improves the revegetation of Eneabba’s diverse kwongan ecosystem post-mining. Flora Restorer scarifies the sandy soil surface, air-seeds diverse seeds, buries them by land imprinting, and sprays a crust of dilute bitumen emulsion to prevent wind and water erosion.

Five years of field research trials demonstrated a unique process that increased seedling emergence 2–3 fold. Flora Restorer has more than doubled the annual area rehabilitated. Independent botanical monitoring has confirmed the revegetation from Flora is both more diverse with increased plant growth compared to previous rehabilitation practice.

Investment and commitment to field research trials proved the potential of the innovative combination of processes. Working with local companies to design, construct and commission the Flora Restorer equipment was critical to practical application, realising the excellent environmental outcomes. Iluka’s investment in innovation is focused on strengthening operational, sustainability, processing and product outcomes; learnings from the project are shared through publications and speaking engagements.

Researchers from Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute have begun monitoring the South Capel wetlands, a former Iluka mine site rehabilitated in the 1970s, to provide a baseline ecological survey of the site.

The South Capel wetlands comprise a chain of 17 wetland lakes over 319 hectares. The area was predominantly pine plantation prior to 1971 when mining commenced and continued for over ten years.

Planning for the post mining land use for the site focussed on environmentally beneficial outcomes by restoring wetlands and native vegetation instead of returning the pre-mining pine plantation. This was considered desirable due to significant loss of wetland habitat on the Swan Coastal Plain as a result of agricultural and urban development. Subsequently the mine pits were rehabilitated to provide wetland and dryland habitat for native species.
Recent studies demonstrate that the site already has significant ecological value. 

Researchers have found that the wetlands support good populations of endemic fish, the threatened Carter’s Freshwater Mussel, and the near-threatened Southwestern Snake-necked Turtle species.

The surrounding dryland vegetation harbours several species of conservation significance such as the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum, threatened Quenda (or Southern Brown Bandicoot), the near-threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale, endangered Baudin’s Black and Carnaby Black cockatoos, and the vulnerable Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.

The base case for rehabilitation of the site is to return it to a State Forest land use. Iluka is currently supporting the evaluation of an alternative community-led land use proposal for the Capel wetlands site, which includes a biodiversity centre and wildlife hospital.

2021 Case Studies and Insights

The Clontarf Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works to improve the education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so, equips them to participate more meaningfully in today’s society.

The Clontarf programme provides an important school-engagement mechanism for many at-risk, teenage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male students who would otherwise not attend or have very low school attendance. 

In 2021, the Clontarf Foundation’s Collie Academy students joined Iluka’s North Capel Operation team for a site visit. During a tour of the North Capel site, students learned:

  • the processing steps of the North Capel Separation Mill (NCSM)
  • separation of Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) though NCSM magnetic and electrostatic properties
  • the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer process to melt mineral sands into discs

Iluka Resources has been a proud partner of the Clontarf Foundation since 2011. Iluka’s partnership offers the opportunity for employees to positively contribute to the lives of the individuals and families engaged with the Foundation. ​​​​​​​To facilitate pathway employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, Iluka offers traineeship opportunities for Clontarf students.

The Youth Social and Economic Empowerment (YSEE) project was designed under the Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) joint program partnership to improve livelihoods, leadership, and social cohesion for at least 50 youths from 2 villages within the Bonthe and Moyamba districts.

Through consultations with youth groups in SRL communities, it was discovered that there is interest in activities such as carpentry, masonry, computer skills development, welding, tailoring, weaving and agriculture. Agriculture is an important revenue earner for most of the population living in SRL’s host communities.

However, most of the population (especially the youth) prefer to seek formal employment with SRL. In fact, income that could be generated from mining employment or other benefits from SRL, has led to a lack of incentive to engage in sustainable agriculture and other entrepreneurial opportunities. This is even though direct employment opportunities with SRL are limited.

As a result, Plan International - Sierra Leone was contracted to implement this project for a period of 6 months from April to September 2021. Plan International has been working in Sierra Leone for over 40 years and has proven experience in successfully managing youth programs.

Findings of the project included several milestones:

  • The YSEE trained 50 youths in masonry, pad making, carpentry, financial literacy, Village Saving Loan Scheme, innovative farming, and awareness raising on gender violence
  • The project provided start-up kits like sewing machines, cassava processing machines and tools to the project participants
  • Established Village Saving Loan Association (VSLA) in the two project communities (Kpetema & Gangama villages)
  • The project formed two loan groups in both project communities and registered them with the line-ministries.

Overall local stakeholders are supportive of the project and the project participants showed great interest in the programme. It is essential for SRL to extend the project for at least one year to scale-up the overall impact of the project.

Through Sierra Rutile (SRL), Iluka Resources has demonstrated its commitment to the development of quality education by supporting the Ruby Rose Educational Resource Centre in Sierra Leone.

The Ruby Rose Educational Resource Centre Library, located at Kpanguma, Ndedemoia Section, Lower Banta Chiefdom, Moyamba District. The library forms the core of the centre and provides reading and learning materials to the communities in Imperie, Lower Banta and Upper Banta chiefdoms.

The beneficiaries of this centre include kindergarten, primary, junior and senior secondary pupils, students in the tertiary institutions, teachers, and the public. The primary aim of the library is to build reading culture within the SRL community. Primary schools that are closer to the centre are scheduled to visit the library daily, Monday to Friday.

Since its establishment in 2008, the Ruby Rose Educational Resource Centre has incorporated a school feeding program for school going kids from Mondays to Fridays, established an adult literacy program, constructed an internet café facility, and distributed assorted books to the library.

The establishment of the centre has helped to significantly improve the standard of education among school going children as well as adults who visit it. Moreover, the establishment of the internet café facility will enhance access to quality knowledge on various subjects offered in schools.

In recognition of the significant role that financial literacy plays in operating small-scale businesses or assist individual entrepreneurs build upon their technical and professional skills, Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL) initiated the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) and Financial Literacy (FL) initiative as part of its Social Investment strategy. It aims to develop and build the resilience of local mining communities.

The project was developed to ensure that communities have community-based financial models which facilitate the mobilization of group members’ savings and on-lending among members only, with no external liabilities.

The VSLA model emphasized provision of simple and accessible financial services to the vulnerable and poor communities within the SRL operational area. To achieve this, the Movement towards Peace and Development (MOPADA), a local NGO, was contracted by SRL for the delivery of financial literacy and VSLA management skills to both SRL staff and 900 community members drawn from 20 communities in SRL Area 1.

Since its inception, the project has successfully:

  • Trained seven SRL staff on Training of Trainers (ToT)
  • Formed 30 new village savings groups and strengthened 6 old groups
  • Provided VSLA kits to 36 groups
  • Provided training to 900 community members in 23 communities organised in 36 groups.
  • 29 of the groups have started the cycle whilst 7 groups have not started their first cycle.
  • In December (in one month time), the groups have contributed Le25,886,000 (Le23,304,000 share purchase and Le 2,582,000 social fund).

The VSLA model is sustainable in the provision of simple and accessible financial services to the vulnerable and poor mining communities within the SRL operational area.
Evidence shows that in less than one month, 81% of the groups started the cycle with only 19% remaining to begin their first cycle. In addition, the groups have contributed Le 25,886,000 (Le 23,304,000-share purchase and Le 2,582,000-social fund) all in one month. This is a significant achievement; it indicates that if the groups are properly monitored, they will achieve greater results.

A Land Disturbance Permit (LDP) assessment conducted by Sierra Rutile (SRL) prior to the proposed Western and Eastern Drain Diversion at Gangama Deposit, reported that Semabu Village has one of the highest prevalence of severe economic hardship.

Following SRL mining activities, Semabu Village faced economic displacement as some of their land was required for mining purposes. Fishing, the community’s major source of protein and the second most source of livelihood, was impacted by the drain diversions work and the tidal bond construction.

To mitigate this impact as much as possible, SRL has embarked on an alternative livelihood initiative to pilot and improve local chicken productivity in Semabu Village, with a potential to scale it up to other communities in the SRL area.

In a collaborative effort with Semabu residents and Njala University, training modules, the construction of chicken coops and procurement of vaccines for chickens have been achieved.

SRL will continue to engage with the Semabu community and Njala University to ensure any risks to the project are identified and addressed.

The agriculture project was designed under the SRL-IFC joint program to improve the livelihoods of at least 150 households through improved agriculture and household practices in six villages within the Bonthe & Moyamba districts. 

While agriculture is an important revenue earner, most of the population living in the company’s host communities (especially the youth) prefer to be job seekers with a clear preference for immediate paid employment than to be job creators. 

In fact, income that could be generated from mining employment or other benefits from SRL has led to a lack of incentive to engage in sustainable agriculture and other entrepreneurial opportunities even though direct employment opportunities with SRL are limited.  

To respond to these challenges, SRL engaged with Save the Children Sierra Leone. Save the Children Sierra Leone has proven experience in successfully managing agricultural programs to implement this project. Spanning over 18 months 35 lead farmers who are certified to serve as peer facilitators, will share knowledge of improved technical practices with their peers, including using demonstration plots.  

The classroom-based training exercises are ongoing. Save the Children will continue to support the farmers with agriculture inputs after the all the trainings are completed.

A product of extensive collaboration, investigation, engineering design and innovation. The South Capel Remediation Project was named as a finalist in the Australasian Land and Groundwater Association Industry Excellence Awards 2021 in the categories of:
 

  • Best Remedial Project (Regional) and;
  • Best Remedial Project (greater than $1m)

Completed in 2020, the project removed mineral sand residue material in old storage dams at the Capel dry plant and South Capel sites and relocated it to a new purpose-built facility at South Capel.

The old dams used during historical operations to store residues from mineral sands processing met regulatory and industry standards of the day, but not contemporary containment requirements.

It was discovered that seepage had occurred, with some common and generally non-hazardous substances found in mineral sands (such as manganese and sulfates) observed in the shallow groundwater aquifer. While deeper groundwater is unaffected, the project has significantly reduced the risk to groundwater and is seeking to achieve an enhanced environmental outcome at South Capel.

Iluka relocated the equivalent of 176 Olympic swimming pools (440,000 cubic metres) of residue from the old storage dams at Capel dry plant and South Capel into a new, purpose -built facility at the South Capel site. In respect of the project and Iluka’s approach to managing environmental risks at the sites, Iluka consulted with the community prior to and throughout the project.  

Fauna was relocated to allow vegetation clearance for access to the old storage dams. Iluka engaged experts in fauna relocation to carefully move marsupials and reptiles at the sites to suitable nearby and adjacent natural areas. Marsupials moved included the Western ringtail possum, or ‘gnuraren’ in the local Noongar language, which are endangered. Relocating the gnuraren was done with great care and successfully completed in 2019.

Iluka will continue to monitor the groundwater and rehabilitated areas for approximately 10 years to ensure the rehabilitation is successful. The project was approved by the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, with other government agencies assessing and approving various parts of the project. These include the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Main Roads WA and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy.

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoos are found in South-Western Australia.  Each year in spring and summer, a small breeding population of this endangered species visits a unique remnant of Wandoo woodland adjacent to Iluka’s Cataby mining operation. Iluka and the Western Australian (WA) Museum have been monitoring their breeding patterns each year since 2003.

Over the last five decades Carnaby Black-Cockatoos have undergone an estimated 50% population decline, with a significant contraction and loss of breeding populations mainly due to habitat loss. Iluka has partnered with Murdoch University as part of the company’s continuing commitment to rehabilitate, protect and enhance Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations at Cataby.

The joint project with Murdoch University aims to utilise innovative tracking methodologies to undertake a movement ecology study of Carnaby's cockatoos, to determine flock movement and habitat use in the Cataby region and surrounding areas. Through GPS tracking data the team at Murdoch have successfully observed members of a flock regularly visiting nearby native vegetation patches, paddocks and Reserves.

Continued assessment of the flock will inform movement and behaviours of the Cockatoos, with research findings used to address key issues in recovery plans.

Iluka is proud to have qualified as a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the fifth year running!

Achieving our highest ranking to date, Iluka is one of nine metals and mining companies listed in the DJSI Australia index.

Iluka’s presence is a reflection of the continued hard work of our teams across the entire business to generate outcomes that support delivering sustainable value.  It also provides positive impact with respect to the visibility of our sustainability performance to external stakeholders.

The S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) is an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. It covers over 10,000 companies from around the world, and the number of participating companies increased by 33% in 2021. 

All assessed companies' S&P Global ESG Scores, calculated from the CSA, are available publicly and accessible to the financial community via the Bloomberg Platform and on the S&P Global Market Intelligence platform.

DJSI Index 2021 - S&P Global

The Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MWCCI) Business Excellence Awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of the region's business community; acknowledging commitment to business, superiority of service, commitment to customers, philanthropic ideals and ethical behaviour.

Iluka’s Mid West operations were recent winners at the MWCCI Business Excellence Awards, taking out two categories:

Community Spirit; and

Aboriginal Engagement.

Iluka was also a finalist for the category Apprentice and Trainee Support.

This is not the first time that Iluka has taken home awards from the MWCCI, winning the category Aboriginal Engagement in 2019.

Iluka was also a proud sponsor of the award category Small Business of the Year which was won by Fuel Maintenance and Engineering.

Iluka’s work in the identification and management of Human Rights and Modern Slavery Risk, and specifically its contribution through an industry working group has led to external recognition. 
 
The Western Australia Modern Slavery Collaborative (WAMsc), of which Iluka is a founding member, comprises more than 15 companies in the energy and resources sector who come together to develop practical tools to screen and manage modern slavery risks within supply chains.
 
WAMsc was recently recognised at the 7th Financial Times Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards in the Social Justice category.  
 
With increasing membership and coverage spanning across Australia, the collaborative will be rebranded in the coming weeks.

​​​​​​​Jacinth Ambrosia is converting its diesel operated power station to hybrid electricity.

The conversion to hybrid will involve electric turbo compounding (ETC) technology which works by recovering waste energy from the exhaust, and the installation of 3.5MW of solar power.

Believed to be a world first, the integration of solar and ETC technology is expected to save over 5500 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The move from diesel to hybrid energy at Jacinth Ambrosia marks an important evolution in Iluka’s Australian operations. With the large solar resources available to us, the conversion makes sense from both a commercial and sustainable development perspective. It also offers a potential blueprint for the future use of renewable energy at other existing and planned operations.

The mineral sands and rare earths produced by Iluka are used in a range of sustainable development and renewable energy applications, including solar panels and wind turbines.

It is great to see our first site powered by the same technologies for which the products we mine and process are essential.

Iluka has once again been confirmed as a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series for 2021. This is the fifth consecutive year Iluka has been listed, achieving an improved overall rating against 2020.

The FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. Transparent management and clearly-defined ESG criteria make FTSE4Good indexes suitable tools to be used by a wide variety of market participants when creating or assessing sustainable investment products. 

Criteria are developed using an extensive market consultation process and are approved by an independent committee of experts. A broad range of stakeholders help shape the criteria, including NGOs, governmental bodies, consultants, academics, the investment community and the corporate sector.

The criteria have been designed to help investors minimise ESG risks. Companies with the largest risk and impacts have to meet additional sector specific criteria.

Sierra Rutile Limited has won the International SOS Foundation Duty of Care Award in the Remote Resilience category.

Launched in October 2011, the International SOS Foundation has the goal of educating organisations on health and security issues impacting their global workforce. They have an altruistic goal of protecting and saving lives through conducting research and thought leadership initiatives on Duty of Care, sustainability and resilience to raise organisational standards in Duty of Care. The Foundation is a fully independent, not-for-profit organisation and registered charity and was started with a grant from International SOS.

The Duty of Care Awards were created to recognise global organisations for their outstanding achievements in protecting the health, safety and security of their workforce. The award acknowledges the great work done by the SRL team, particularly the health services team led by Dr Tamba Manyeh, Chief Medical Officer. Dr Pascal Ray Herm, Group Medical Director of International SOS on announcing the award commented, “this organisation maintained operations in Sierra Leone during the pandemic by developing a strong preventative program to protect their employee’s health and wellbeing.”

The judges also commented that SRL’s initiative “not only focussed on fighting COVID-19 but applied learning from other disease outbreaks which saw commendable achievements in fighting disease threats and keeping employees safe. It is a very timely program that has application long into the future.”

Iluka Resources has received a Bronze Medal rating for sustainability performance by Ecovadis

Ecovadis is a provider of business sustainability ratings for global supply chains across more than 200 purchasing categories and 160 countries. The Bronze Medal rating reflects performance within the top 50% of all companies assessed.

The Ecovadis methodology is built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the ISO 26000.  The Sustainability Scorecard illustrates performance across 21 indicators in four themes:
Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

Iluka Resources is proud to be recognised as a finalist in the 2021 Golden Gecko Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented by the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry and Regulation. 

The bespoke Flora Restorer tractor-drawn machine is Iluka’s innovative rehabilitation equipment design that dramatically improves the revegetation of Eneabba’s diverse kwongan ecosystem post-mining. Flora Restorer scarifies the sandy soil surface, air-seeds diverse seeds, buries them by land imprinting, and sprays a crust of dilute bitumen emulsion to prevent wind and water erosion.

Five years of field research trials demonstrated a unique process that increased seedling emergence 2–3 fold. In a single-pass Iluka found it could scarify the soil, air-seed, land imprint and stabilise with dilute bitumen emulsion. Flora Restorer has more than doubled the annual area rehabilitated.

Investment and commitment to field research trials proved the potential of the innovative combination of processes. Working with local companies to design, construct and commission the Flora Restorer equipment was critical to practical application, realising the excellent environmental outcomes. Iluka’s investment in innovation is focused on strengthening operational, sustainability, processing and product outcomes; learnings from the project are shared through publications and speaking engagements.

The Jackson and Devon Anderson (JADA) Technical Institute was established in response to the felt need of the people in the Rutile and Bauxite Mining communities. In January 2008, Africare received a private grant from Dwight Anderson, a former investor in Sierra Rutile Limited for the establishment of a technical and vocational skills training institute in collaboration with SRL to cater for the youth living in the southern province of Sierra Leone. The institute has been named in honour of Mr. Anderson’s children.  

In February 2018, SRL, JADA Technical Institute and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German International Cooperation – GIZ) signed a contract for a development partnership titled ’From Mines to Minds 2 – Supporting demand-oriented skills development in Sierra Leone through a Development Partnership with the Private Sector (DPP) at JADA’. The ‘From Mines to Minds 2’ project is jointly funded by SRL, JADA and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the GIZ-implemented ‘PPP Fund for the Cooperation with Companies in Countries of the Mano River Union’.  

The overall objective of the project was to improve the skills and employability of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates of the JADA Technical Institute. This was designed to be achieved by turning the institution into a demand-driven and practice-oriented training institution. The two target-courses are Mechanical and Electrical & Electronics Technology. 

In addition to benefits for the labour market, investing in people’s skills raises the incomes of economically vulnerable groups, thereby reducing poverty and improving livelihoods. 
Targeting both JADA teachers and students, the project’s activities include:

  • carrying out a diagnostic study to identify and prioritise key intervention needs, and key priority occupational areas based on existing courses at JADA (including a study on required investment)
  • constructing and equipping two training workshops to improve the quality of practical training
  • developing practical training materials that correspond to the new standards to be met by JADA teachers and students
  • conducting Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions to provide TVET teachers at JADA with appropriate technical knowledge and improve lesson quality
  • establishing an internship programme for JADA students, enabling them to gain additional practical training and work experience
  • fostering JADA’s sustainability and financial viability, including supporting its institutional consolidation and developing a management plan
  • designing a publicity campaign to raise awareness of TVET as an equal alternative to mainstream education rather than a second choice, particularly for women and people with disabilities
  • introducing two short-term courses at JADA
  • in cooperation with the National Council for Technical, Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCTVA), establishing nationally accredited certification for all JADA graduates. 


JADA has helped to train the youthful population in essential skills that enhance their employability.  Sierra Rutile Limited offers internships and work placements to JADA students and its staff provide technical expertise for the development of training materials and for teacher training.

2020 Case Studies and Insights

Iluka is proud to be named in the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for Australia!

With a record number of companies participating in the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment and more stringent rules for inclusion this year, Iluka’s continued presence is a reflection on the work of our people across the business to generate outcomes that support delivering sustainable value.  It also provides positive impact with respect to the visibility of our sustainability performance to external stakeholders.

This year saw the strongest level of corporate participation in the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) – up 18.9% from 2019, with 238 companies participating for the first time.

Responsible asset disposal and reallocation is an important enabler for our future operations. It reduces Iluka’s rehabilitation liability and minimises waste through recycling and repurposing. Recycling or reuse of equipment is paramount and in the forefront of all demolition projects, this again has enabled a lower capital costs to Iluka in current and future projects.

Iluka is halfway through the execution of a five-year demolition strategy that is removing redundant assets across its Australian sites. 2020 posed several challenges with COVID-19 travel restrictions and a down turn in revenue limiting available funds for demolition activities, however Iluka was successful in completing critical removal of assets. This provided access to maintain closure and rehabilitation plans at Tuttunup South, Eneabba and Yoganup, along with other miscellaneous activities. This included the following:

  • At Tutt South, the primary concentrator was relocated for reuse to North Capel. As well as 660 tonnes of HDPE Piping and 680 tonnes of ferrous / non ferrous components removed and recycled.
  • At Eneabba, 970 tonnes of HDPE Piping and 400 tonnes of ferrous / non ferrous components were removed and recycled.
  • At Yoganup, 30 tonnes of HDPE Piping and 200 tonnes of ferrous / non ferrous components were removed and recycled;
  • Other activities involved, the relocation of thickener from Gingin to North Capel, sale of office and crib buildings  and scrapping of 125T of redundant HV Transformers from Capel and Eneabba.

In 2020, Iluka received a rating of A (on a scale of AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment.

DISCALIMER STATEMENT 
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At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, prices of personal protective equipment (PPE) surged as supply chains were disrupted and global demand continued to rise exponentially. Frontline staff were left exposed to higher risks and COVID-19 exposure due to the shortfall of PPE. Sierra Rutile acknowledged this risk and the need for action; their ongoing commitment to health and safety has focused on both Iluka employees and the wider community. 

Sierra Rutile donated approximately AU$100,000 in medical supplies and PPE to ten Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the Bonthe and Moyamba districts. The donations provided much needed relief to the CHCs. Donated equipment included gowns, respirators, face shields, sanitizers and more.

In addition to medical supplies and PPE, 252 sets of veronica buckets, liquid soaps and hand sanitisers were distributed to communities in the five mining chiefdoms. Invented by Ghanaian scientist Veronica Bekoe, the Veronica bucket has a fixed tap and a second bucket below to collect wastewater. They are a cost-effective way to enable frequent hand washing in areas with no access to running water.

The distribution, starting in early March 2020, focused on areas of high community movement, identified by Sierra Rutile’s Community Affairs team. Additional provisions and hygiene materials, such as cloth facemasks, were distributed to local tradespeople, market stallholders, youth groups, and those identified as highly vulnerable to COVID-19.

Sierra Rutile also provided financial support of approximately AU $10,000, distributed to seven community radio stations for the dissemination of COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages.