Independence Group Sustainability Report 2019

We also continued to facilitate or fund numerous training and educational programs and created real employment opportunities. Of the work contracted by IGO to third parties, the third largest contract has been awarded to a Ngadju joint venture known as CV LOMAG for primary crusher and earthmoving services. Improving the understanding of Aboriginal culture within our workforce is an important part of our approach, and we provide cultural awareness training to our people. In collaboration with Ngadju Elders, IGO and Ngadju co-initiated the Nova cross-cultural awareness program, which provides our people with knowledge and awareness of Ngadju history and culture. Independently facilitated and co-presented by Ngadju community representatives, its development is the result of much hard work from the Ngadju community. During FY19, 75 employees completed this program. We also co‑published a guide book used for cultural awareness training with the NNTAC. IGO appreciates the volume of historical and cultural information shared by Ngadju people. In FY18, IGO supported the Ngadju people (through the Ngadju Conservation Aboriginal Corporation) in the establishment of the Ngadju Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). In FY19 we continued our support with the donations of computers and office equipment. The Ngadju IPA covers an area of 4.4 million hectares within the Ngadju Native Title Determination Area and is managed by the Ngadju Ranger Program based in Norseman. The Nova Operation is  located within the IPA. The Tropicana Operation is wholly within the area of the former Wongatha Native Title Claim (WC99/001), which was dismissed by the Australian Federal Court in 2007. Notwithstanding this, the Tropicana Operation continues to work constructively with the Traditional Owners. Additional information on AngloGold Ashanti’s work with the Traditional Owners can be found at www.anglogoldashanti.com Cultural heritage We respect Aboriginal people, culture and the connection to country. We manage our exploration and mining operations carefully and collaboratively to mitigate any impacts we may have on culturally significant sites. Our activities are subject to both Aboriginal heritage protection laws and heritage agreements with the Traditional Owners; the latter being a typical precursor to the grant of exploration tenements and a standard component of land access agreements. We believe that, in general, our activities can be completed with minimal disturbance to ethnographic sites. IGO has clear protocols and procedures around land disturbance and clearing. Aboriginal heritage surveys are one of the first activities completed as part of any greenfield exploration prior to any ground disturbance. The arrangements for the surveys are generally subject to agreement between IGO and the Traditional Owners. Such agreements define the survey methodology and the participants. We always engage local Traditional Owners to assist with surveys and to ensure the effective and culturally sensitive management of significant sites. In FY19, IGO sought assistance in the completion of heritage surveys from a number of the Traditional Owner groups on whose land we operate. For our exploration activities in the Fraser Range, IGO engaged the Ngadju people to complete heritage surveys, covering an area of 283,537ha. Heritage surveys at the Lake Mackay Project in the Northern Territory covered an area of 95,326ha in FY19. This work involved helicopter-based reconnaissance to identify major features of significance and associated no-go areas. This was followed up by on-ground surveys using Ngadju heritage monitors and Ngadju’s appointed archaeologist. During FY19, as in previous years, numerous sites were identified and mapped. This information was used to plan our exploration activity to avoid the disturbance of these sites, and was shared with the Traditional Owners, and where required in law, with the relevant government department. DISTURBANCE OF AN ETHNOGRAPHIC SCATTER In FY19, IGO’s people were involved in an incident that resulted in the disturbance of a previously identified scatter of ethnographic artefacts in the Fraser Range. The scatter site had been identified as part of the heritage survey process. Due to deficiencies in supervisor and information sharing, a front-end loader pushed a track through one, and potentially two, ethnographic scatters located in a heavily wooded area. The sites consisted of stone chips associated with tool making and other artefacts potentially indicative of an old camp site. In response to this incident, IGO held a meeting with community leaders to apologise, present our investigation findings and discuss steps to minimise the risk of a re-occurrence of this type of incident. IGO and Ngadju worked in collaboration with the Western Australian Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. Following review, the department determined that although it recognised the artefact scatter was of significance to some members of the Ngadju community, the scatter did not constitute a site as protected in law. IGO unreservedly apologises to the Ngadju community for our failings in this matter. 58 — IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 SECTION 5 MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY