(7)The Enduring Value of Early, Closure-Specific Stakeholder Engagement

摘要

Pan Aust Asia (PAA)has two operational mines and various exploration sites in remote locations in northern Laos. Communities close to the mines responded to the company's proactive local employment and community development policies by providing approximately 20% of the mine's workforce and setting up enterprises to supply a significant proportion of the mine's fresh food requirements. When the mines close, these mine-related employment opportunities and markets will cease, and the communities are potentially at risk of remaining isolated from suitable alternatives. The company holds regular stakeholder engagement meetings which are critical to the operation of the mine and company-supported community development activities. Rather than adding mine closure to the agenda of regular stakeholder meetings, PAA has developed a Stakeholder Engagement Plan specifically to address mine closure planning. This study assesses the value of this approach to achieving best-practice mine closure. The company wished to assess whether stakeholders would be ready to pro-actively plan for closure early in the operational phase, and how this planning could influence final land use options for closure as well as the design of community development projects and impact mitigation strategies. Initial stakeholder engagement meetings to discuss closure revealed that communities are very aware that mining operations are finite and they are already considering potential postmine opportunities. Other influences on post-mine land use such as the development of the Nam Ngum reservoir and hydroelectric scheme also need to be considered. These initial stakeholder engagement activities and planning are positioning the mine early for orderly and efficient mine closure. An early understanding of the constraints and opportunities by all stakeholders will enable investments made by the company, local communities and the Government to contribute to an enduring improvement in the socio-economic status of surrounding communities.