Social aspects of the closure of Century Mine

MMG’s Century Mine (hereafter Century) is a large zinc mining and processing operation located in the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria region of North West Queensland, a remote area with a substantial Indigenous population. The mine operates on a Fly in Fly out (FIFO) basis, drawing its workforce from Townsville, Mt Isa, Cairns and other parts of Australia, as well as from the Gulf communities. It is anticipated that the ore body will be depleted by the end of 2015 and zinc processing and production is expected to cease in 2016. MMG is seeking to demonstrate leading practice in how it manages the cessation of zinc mining and production at Century and has commenced a planning process for this purpose. This report has been prepared to assist the Gulf communities and the company to prepare for closure and to meet the aspirations of the Gulf Communities Agreement (GCA). It:

• provides an assessment of the impact of Century to date on the development of the Lower Gulf region
• documents the likely impacts of completion of mining throughout the region
• identifies strategies for mitigating these impacts and contributing to sustainable development outcomes for the Lower Gulf region,
• focuses particularly on potential for realising the aspirations of the GCA.