Coming Together

Kujungkarrini means "coming together", and it signifies the purpose and intent of building productive relationships between Newcrest Mining Ltd and Indigenous communities in the North-West of Western Australia, where Newcrest Mining is developing one of Australia's biggest gold mining operations at Telfer, in the Western Desert, some 450km east of Port Hedland. Newcrest signed important agreements with the Martu people in 2003 that enabled the Company to expand its Telfer operations, and to provide financial and other benefits to the Martu. Many benefits are already accruing to both the Company and the Martu people. For example:

Punmu Carnival

Bobby Comes Home

Martu Elder Bobby Roberts has come Home. Bobby’s inner-joy and contentment shone brightly through his dark, glistening eyes as he completed his initial treatment in the new Respite Renal Dialysis and Dental Centre at Jigalong.

Bobby (55), Patricia Fry and Leslie Watson were the first patients to return to Country for treatment at the centre, which the Governor of WA, Dr Ken Michael AC, officially opened on May 12 2009. Bobby’s daughter and grandchildren were on hand to walk with him, whistling and humming, as he approached the centre.

Training and Employment

Newcrest has initiated the development of training programs through Pundulmurra College and Pilbara TAFE to enable and encourage students to gain the educational and technical credentials necessary to obtain work at Telfer. Telfer's Community Relations team continues to work closely with Indigenous communities, Telfer operations and management personnel, and contractors to secure employment for suitably qualified Indigenous personnel throughout the mine's operations.
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Community Health

Newcrest supports local indigenous communities in many ways including an initiative to establish a Respite Renal Dialysis Program at Jigalong, and a healthy lifestyle program at Punmu and Jigalong in association with the University of Western Australia.
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From left: Dr Ashley Irish, Consultant to the Department of nephrology at Royal Perth Hospital, Fred Ordynski, and Leon van Erp inspect dialysis equipment at RPH.

Connecting Communities

The Company is at the forefront of a plan to build the "Niminjarra Highway", a new 130km road to more directly link the communities of Punmu and Parnngurr and heighten economic, social and cultural ties between the two communities. See Highway Flyover Video
You'll find more information on each of these initiatives in the navigation menu above.
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Education Scholarship Program

Before 13 Year old Kirwin Miller (second from right) enrolled to study at Christian Brothers College in Fremantle he met with Punmu RAWA School Principal James Back (left) and CBC Fremantle Principal David McFadden (right) to fine-tune his preparation for new educational and life experiences in a new learning environment, thousands of kilometres south from the remote Punmu community he had called home. Newcrest supported Kerwin’s studies and associated needs through its Telfer-based Community Relations program. Newcrest offers educationional scholarships to local indigenous people. Read More...

Last Updated on Thursday, 21 August 2008 05:48