Sustainable development

While 2011 was a challenging year due to wet weather and uncertainty in global markets, we remained committed to acting responsibly in all areas of our business and maximising the long term value of our resources and relationships.

We are focused on ensuring shared value from our operations. Last year 90 per cent of our goods and services used by our operations were purchased from local suppliers in Queensland and New South Wales. I am proud that we are delivering financial strength not just to our shareholders, but also the vibrant communities which surround our operations.

We work hard to maintain an injury and illness free workplace where everyone - employees and contractors - goes home safe and healthy after each shift. After several years of improvement our safety performance dropped slightly in 2011. We have put in place measures across our business to drive continued improvement in this area.

2011 was a year in which we saved 110,000 gigajoules of energy and more than $270 million through looking for more innovative and smarter ways of working. We reaffirmed our commitment to grow the diversity of our workforce. The number of women and Indigenous Australians we employ has increased, reflecting our overall growth. Improving our diversity is an ongoing challenge, however it is one we remain committed to meeting.

While our overall number of environmental incidents has dropped, we recognise we must continue to work harder to manage our impacts on the environment and our neighbours.

Promoting sustainable practice makes good business sense and ensures we make a valued contribution as a member of the community. We are focused on balancing social, environmental and economic considerations in our operations and decision making. In doing this, we aim to create genuine long term benefits from the way we operate, for our business and the communities around us.

Bill Champion
Managing Director