Independence Group Sustainability Report 2019

Traditional Owners From exploration and discovery activities, to mine development and operation through to mine closure, we work in close collaboration with the Traditional Owners on whose land we seek to operate. We do so mindful of our responsibilities and the trust placed in us. To this end, IGO seeks to operate in accordance with the law, mutually agreed contractual access arrangements and IGO’s standards. In Western Australia, our operations are located on lands with either claimed or determined native title by various Aboriginal groups including the Koara, Ngalia, Wutha, Wongatha and the Ngadju peoples. In the Northern Territory, IGO’s exploration activities occur on the lands of the Walpiri, Luritja and Pintupi peoples, as represented by the Central Land Council. IGO has a land access agreement with the Ngadju people, the native title holders of the land on which the Nova Operation is located. The agreement is established with the corporate entity that represents the Ngadju communities’ interests; the Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (NNTAC). The agreement provides various benefits and guarantees in return for an uncontested access right. These include a royalty, training, preferential employment and support for Ngadju business. In the agreement IGO also gives specific undertakings in respect of land management and environmental protection, the protection of sites of spiritual or archaeological significance, and a commitment to provide our workforce with cultural awareness training. In FY19, we have made production royalty and other payments to Ngadju totalling $4.08M. IGO have contributed $7.7M to the NNTAC since the commencement of the Nova Mining Agreement in 2014. FEEDBACK FROM THE NGADJU COMMUNITY During February to April 2019, IGO commissioned Umwelt to undertake a consultation program in the Goldfields- Esperance region as part of our social impact assessment. The aim was to identify: • community attitudes towards IGO, the Nova Operation and our exploration works in the Fraser Range; • views on the negative and positive impacts associated with the Nova Operation and our exploration activities, and how best to manage these; and • how IGO can better address community concerns and continue to improve our social investment efforts in the region. Feedback from the Ngadju community is especially important to us. Key feedback from the consultation program included: • While most Ngadju community members associated IGO with mining and economic benefits, when asked to score their level of knowledge about the Nova Operation, most indicated that they have little understanding of what the company is doing. • It was generally felt that attitudes towards the company could be improved by increased access to employment opportunities and better engagement, particularly with Ngadju Elders. • When presented with a list of potential or prompted issues, that may be associated with the Nova Operation, feedback indicated that preservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage was another key issue of concern. • Discussions revealed a need for the direct communication of information to the Ngadju community rather than sole reliance on the Mining Agreement Implementation Committee. • Ngadju provided us with suggestions as to how our engagement with their community could be improved, such as establishing an Elder advisory group, site visits and social gatherings. • Ngadju would like to know more about our operations, current and future employment and business opportunities, IGO’s contributions to the community and for us to provide better feedback to those Ngadju people who had applied for employment or traineeships, as to why they may not have been successful. The consultation process was well received and provided a great deal of information that requires ongoing consideration. IGO is currently reviewing this in detail to identify opportunities to improve our engagement with and contribution to the Ngadju community. IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 — 57