Engineering, project delivery and advisory services group Aurecon will be the official safety awareness sponsor at the twentieth Investing in African Mining Indaba which will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 3 to 6.

Aurecon Africa and Middle East resources industry leader Mark Berger explains that the company received a customised sponsorship package from the event organisers positioning it as the official safety awareness sponsor of the 2014 Mining Indaba. “As part of this package, Aurecon will deliver the morning safety address to all delegates for the duration of the conference and will moderate several conference sessions,” he adds.

In preparation for the event, Berger notes, Aurecon will place safety-message stickers at the entrances and exits of the exhibit hall at the conference centre. Also, key Aurecon personnel from the South African and Australian offices will attend the event, with meetings between Aurecon personnel and particular delegates having been arranged prior to the event.

“As the world’s largest mining investment event and Africa’s largest mining event, the Mining Indaba is a great opportunity for Aurecon to showcase its capabilities to the world’s leading mining companies and to network with key industry decision-makers.

“Further, the Mining Indaba enables attendees to gain insight into the investment climate and opportunities in the African mining industry through the projects and available mining capabilities being showcased. It also provides an opportunity for owners and service providers to interact on a face-to-face basis,” Berger says.

He notes that Aurecon has been attending the Mining Indaba since 2011 and that the company has gained invaluable networking opportunities and industry insight from the keynote speakers and industry experts who attend the event each year.

Meanwhile, Aurecon mining infrastructure leader Andrew Keith notes that social licence to operate, creating sustainable mining operations and increasing project value beyond the consideration of financial objectives alone are among the key industry challenges in the global mining industry.

“There is increasing pressure to provide sustainable economic and social benefits for the communities where mines operate. As mine logistics chains lengthen, community relations and the social licence to operate become paramount in keeping the transport chain open and operating.

“The challenge lies in obtaining a social licence to operate by ensuring that communities are, at least, not motivated to disrupt mine operations. Historically, the approach has been to achieve regulatory compliance, especially with regard to the environmental and social impact. The South African Mining Charter, which mining houses will need to comply with by 2014, is indicative of a rising global trend to ensure such compliance is more stringent, particularly regarding com- munity development,” explains Keith.

He adds that, for a mine to be sustainable, it must be able to function profitably throughout the resource life cycle, while offering the best possible returns to the shareholders, the community and the country. Mining companies will need to decide how to get the most value from integrating the logistics chain into the mining processes in a way that will improve life-of-mine practices and drive long-term shareholder value.

“As mining activities move to more remote and less developed locations worldwide, a holistic approach to mine development is fundamental to achieving a balance between strong financial returns and corporate social responsibility and transparency. Key interrelated fundamentals, such as the social licence to operate, life-of-mine operational planning, reducing environmen- tal impacts and, most importantly, attractive investment returns for the mining company, contribute to the viability of any new mining project,” Keith adds.

He highlights that Aurecon contributes towards overcoming industry challenges and increasing sustainable growth through partnerships with clients. This entails working with clients to identify and develop initiatives that foster cooperation with governments and communities to deliver sustainable growth in a particular region, country and community, as well as identifying and realising business value for shareholders, employees and stakeholders.

“Aurecon’s aim is to create value for its clients by making a real difference in the communities in which it works. This is achieved using the five capitals model for sustainable growth, developed by Forum for the Future, which includes financial, manufactured or physical, human, social and natural capital. A holistic approach to mine development considers all five capitals in assessing the best possible approach to the project,” Keith concludes.