Australia’s mining sector needs to move past compliance-driven “engagement” with First Nations communities and adopt co-ownership, shared risk and long-term partnership models already common in Canada, the United States and Chile, industry and Indigenous leaders told International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney on October 23, 2025.
Darren Godwell, Chair of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), said that while “engagement” has long been the standard descriptor for company–community relations, expectations have matured as First Nations advocacy globalises and strengthens its voice across the industry.
“The real opportunity over the next 20 or 30 years is where we see Indigenous peoples move into the role of co-investors—taking on some of the risk with developers, joining capital raisings and taking equity positions,” Godwell said.
Derek Flucker, chair of Aboriginal Enterprises in Mining, Energy & Exploration (AEMEE), argued Australia remains well behind international peers.
“We’re still taking a ‘crumbs’ approach, handing out little bits here and there. We have a lot of catching up to do,” he said.
From the operator side, Yancoal’s executive general manager for Environment and External Affairs, Mark Jacobs, said shorter mine lives sharpen the focus on what remains after operations cease.
“With the relatively short asset life we have, we are embedding an approach with our workforce, communities and suppliers to ensure relationships continue beyond the completion of mining,” he said, emphasising economic, social and environmental legacies defined by local priorities.
Glencore Coal’s group manager for Social Performance and Human Rights, Catherine Pattenden, said the challenge is defining and measuring “meaningful” engagement.
“It is difficult to measure relationships and the tendency can be to say, ‘ok that’s done, tick’. But engagement is about the extent to which we have a shared table—and not one defined by the mining company,” she said.
Matthew Denyer, principal adviser for Indigenous Partnerships & Communities at the Minerals Council of Australia, said compliance has too often framed engagement as an end point.
“It really needs to be about collaboration. When we move out of that compliance frame and start talking about shared equity and genuine partnership, it becomes a collaboration piece,” Denyer said.
Godwell warned that treating Indigenous communities as a box-ticking exercise “invites disruption and delay”, increasing project uncertainty. He said the sector is shifting toward models where trust, shared decision-making and tangible long-term benefits define success.
“We are going to see Indigenous people involved earlier—often at design—and more often as co-owners or co-investors,” he said. “Other jurisdictions are a long way in front of Australia in adopting common standards built around free, prior and informed consent. Operators who adopt this standard see it as a way to de-risk by bringing traditional owners in early—we’re seeing that in Canada, Alaska and Chile.”
Moderating the panel, Beyond Engagement: Global Best Practices in Building Trust and Providing Shared Prosperity, Rebecca Blurton, Managing Director of First Nations Affairs, said the leading companies are aligning governance with Indigenous definitions of success.
“They’re embedding shared decision-making and treating Indigenous leadership as critical infrastructure. This meets regulatory expectations, strengthens institutions and delivers sustainable outcomes for communities and investors,” Blurton said. “The conversation has moved well beyond ticking the engagement box—true partnership is built through co-governance, clear decision-making and respect for Indigenous definitions of success.”
For details on IMARC 2025, visit the conference website.