Mining, oil and gas
Local Solomon Islands' women, like Jemimah John, are concerned chemicals from a tailings dam upstream will overflow into their water supply. Photo: Lara McKinley/OxfamAUS
Many of the world’s mining giants call Australia home. In recent years, Australia has profited from a global mining boom which has seen the industry grow at a rate of 50% a year until the recent financial crisis.
It’s been a modern-day gold rush and great for our economy, but scratch the gleaming surface and you’ll see that not everyone is benefitting.
Mining companies that don’t respect human rights may cause harm to the communities living around their operations. And it’s the most vulnerable – women and indigenous people – who are worst affected.
Our work in Fiji, the Philippines (Didipio, Marinduque, Rapu Rapu), Papua New Guinea shows that the operations of some Australian mining companies may have contributed to human rights abuses and environmental destruction.
Sure, mining companies can stimulate economic growth and bring prosperity – we welcome that – but without a commitment to respecting human rights and protecting the environment they can also cause people to lose their land and way of life and irreparably damage the environment.
It doesn't have to be this way.
We're lobbying Australian mining companies and governments to make sure people come before profits. And we're helping affected communities to tell their side of the story.