Stakeholder Engagement

The Kwinana Nickel Refinery is an active member of the Kwinana Industries Council (KIC) - a business association for industries within the Kwinana industrial area. The key role of the council is to promote the harmonious co-existence of industry, community and the environment.

Representatives from the WMC Kwinana Nickel Refinery participate in regular meetings to discuss and examine ways to address stakeholder issues. Every two months an open community forum is held, with participation from community groups, industry, local government, regulatory groups and the media. The forum is organised by elected community and industry representatives. Details of the forthcoming meeting, including the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and the Charter, are advertised on the KIC website. The community are also advised about forthcoming meetings through advertisements in three local papers.

On behalf of the companies located in the Kwinana industrial area, an annual community attitude survey is conducted amongst the surrounding community. Survey results of this survey are used to track key measures over time. Results for 2004 showed that air quality continued to be the major concern for local community though this is trending downwards. Noise was more of a concern than the previous year while air and water quality concerns slightly improved. The survey also showed that respondents were more aware of community projects that involved local industry. The most common projects community attributed to industry were tree planting/land rehabilitation programs, followed by community involvement, sponsorship and donations.

Working with the Community

Employees from all areas of the operation are involved in raising funds and providing hands-on assistance for community projects and organisations. Employee teams have organised charity barbecues to raise funds for organisations and causes they select. This ensures the refinery's community focus reflects the personal values and interests of our workforce. Organisations to benefit from the barbeque program in 2004 include the Bertram Playgroup, The Cancer Council for ‘Me No Hair’ Day and Daffodil Day, RSPCA, the First Warnbro Sound Scout Group and the Department for Comunity Developement who used the funds for the Rockingham and Kwinana children and young people in care.

In addition to these donations, the Safety Excellence Award program, held during the 2004 major shutdown at the Kwinana Nickel Refinery, rewarded each winning work-team with $4000 to donate to their chosen charity. Recipients were Riding For the Disabled, Blue Light-Kwinana Beach, Kidlink, Challenger Lodge (now Bethanie Waters), Camp Quality and Rockingham-Kwinana District Hospital.

In 2004 KNR continued its environmental sponsorship with the Rockingham Lakes Primary School, to help raise student awareness of environmental issues in the region. The three-year sponsorship involves students participating in tree planting at our Baldivis property and with recycling projects.

This year, approximately 100 school children and volunteers from the refinery and community planted 3000 trees at Baldivis. Kwinana Nickel Refinery environmental scientists demonstrated how to plant seedlings and showed the children and volunteers the progress of previous plantings.

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