Access

Our access to land is key to our business success. So we are always sensitive in our approach to starting new ventures, and we are careful to take into consideration the views of those with an interest in the area as well as the wider environmental and social impacts. 

This means that we continually consult with local communities to see how we can meet their needs as well as the relevant public authorities and others affected.  We are particularly conservative in our approach towards areas of high conservation and heritage value, and we work in a cooperative manner with those whose land claims are based on customary arrangement rather than legal right.

Sometimes, all this can result in our not exploring or developing the operation any further, even when we are legally permitted to do so.

How we access land

We have programmes and standards in place to deal with land stewardship, biodiversity, mine closure and cultural heritage sites.

Under our Land Access Policy, we consult thoroughly at the beginning of a mining operation to seek to gain the widest possible support. We do this by using an integrated approach that takes into account economic, technical, environmental and social factors. We also work with others where these sorts of frameworks do not exist, to encourage and help governments to put appropriate consultation processes in place.

Where property is affected, its value is assessed and then we agree appropriate compensation with its owner.  Resettlement is rarely necessary. But when it is, we apply principles that are based on World Bank guidelines.

During mining operations, we may use surplus land for a variety of purposes. These include housing, educational, health and recreational facilities as well as for food production, forestry, habitat protection and biodiversity conservation.

At the end of the life of the mine, our operations use their closure management plans to ensure that it is closed down safely. Then we complete the rehabilitation of land, again in consultation with our neighbours and in accordance with best environmental practice, relevant laws and regulations.

Footprint

Rio Tinto's footprint includes all land disturbed for mining, processing and related activities, including rehabilitated land. Rio Tinto's footprint at the end of 2006 was 1,513 square kilometres:

Weipa remains the largest contributor to the footprint area in 2006 (12 per cent or 189 square kilometres), with Dampier, Port Hedland, Resource Geology and Kennecott Utah Copper the next largest contributors. These five operations contribute 39 per cent of Rio Tinto's total footprint.

Definitions

Rio Tinto uses various categories of land management to measure performance in Land Stewardship including:

Total Land Holding   All land to which Rio Tinto has legal rights related to ownership, use or access that includes the sum of the footprint and land holding balance.

Footprint  The area of land impacted by mining, processing and related activities.  To reduce impacts, Rio Tinto aims to manage the footprint by minimising disturbance and rehabilitating disturbed land as soon as practicable.

Land Disturbed  The total area of land currently disturbed, also referred to as the rehabilitation deficit, is dependent on the type of operation, the accessibility of disturbed land for rehabilitation and the operational focus on land rehabilitation. 

Land Rehabilitated   Land rehabilitation involves re-establishing landform and vegetation and biodiversity. Rehabilitation and land remediation (clean up of contaminated land) and / or infrastructure decommissioning are required during closure before land can be relinquished for alternative uses.

Land Holding Balance   Land outside the footprint area, which may be used in the future for mining, processing and related activities as well as other land uses, is referred to as the land holding balance.  This is held by Rio Tinto operations under many different forms of tenure, with widely varying levels of associated control and responsibility.