How can a company and a country grow together?

Last updated: 9 September 2019

Rio Tinto and Australia. We go back a long way.

For more than 100 years, we’ve been working together to create the material the world needs.

In fact, there's a good chance that the building you live in, the car you drive, and the smartphone in your hand right now contain at least a little bit of Australia. And chances are, you or someone you know have helped us get the job done.

We know that without Australia, we wouldn't be where we are today. And we're pretty proud of how we're helping the nation grow too.

1. We create jobs

We're not just talking the 21,000 people in our Australian operations, but the jobs our work creates in other industries too.

We're also proud to be one of the largest employers of Indigenous Australians in the country. And through our cadetship and scholarship programmes, we're helping the country's future leaders – like Sara, Jamela and Rhianna – set themselves up for success.

2. We also create opportunity

Not just for the people who work for us, but the 9,000 Aussie businesses and suppliers we work with. Whether they provide our stationery or our simulators – we couldn't run our business without them.

We invest in the long-term economic success of our communities. At our Amrun project in North Queensland, we've awarded contracts worth more than A$240 million to 71 businesses from the local Western Cape area. And because working parents are finding it tough to get child care, we're partnering with the local community centre to increase the number of child care educators in the area.

3. We help build stronger communities

We want to make sure we help build stronger communities. In 2017 we invested more than A$27.5 million in everything from local community services to bigger partnerships – like our work with the Clontarf Foundation – that tackle some of the nation's most important issues.

We were the first mining company to embrace Indigenous land rights in Australia. Today we have agreements in place across all our operations to ensure local Indigenous people have a say in how the benefits of mining are used in their community. And that's not just financial benefits, but education, training and employment for future generations too.

We also stand up for safe and respectful communities. We wear our White Ribbons with pride, and have put in place policies and resources to support families and communities affected by domestic violence.

4. We help preserve what makes Australia, Australia

We work with Traditional Owners to preserve cultural sites and traditions.

In the Pilbara, our archaeologists are working with the University of Western Australia and Traditional Owners to record and preserve the world's largest and most significant collection of rock art. And at our Weipa operations, our teams hold cultural camps on country with Traditional Owners to record important cultural sites and help Elders pass on knowledge to younger generations.

5. And we care about this country from the ground up

All around Australia, our people work hard to make sure we leave the smallest impact on the environment. Long before mining starts, we look for ways to reduce any impacts. But we don't just stop there. We work with scientists to help protect native animals like the red goshawk, the palm cockatoo or the northern quoll. And we tap into the unique knowledge of Traditional Owners to make sure areas are looked after properly for future generations.

These are some of the ways we're helping build a stronger Australia. It's not just the tax we pay – it's the doors we open. From iPhones in Sydney to skyscrapers in New York, there's a little bit of Australia in everything the world uses. And it all starts right here.

Download the 2017 Economic Contribution Australia Report >