Article by Alexandra Eastwood courtesy of Australian Mining.
The Western Australian Government has appointed Reg Howard-Smith as the chair of the Resources Community Investment Initiative (RCII) and opened an expressions of interest process to match RCII contributions.
The RCII was launched in November 2022 and facilitates investment from the resources industry in iconic infrastructure projects and community initiatives across the state.
A total of $750 million has already been committed by the initiative’s foundation partners including Rio Tinto ($250 million), BHP ($250 million), Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron ($100 million), Woodside Energy ($50 million), Chevron Australia ($50 million) and Mineral Resources ($50 million).
The pipeline of projects that the money will go toward includes the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Perth Zoo master plan, remote Aboriginal community fund and Perth Concert Hall redevelopment.
The State Government has also launched an expressions of interest process which will allow contributing companies to indicate which projects they want to make financial contributions to.
Howard-Smith’s new role as chair will see him play a part in promoting the RCII to industry and encouraging participation.
“The Resources Community Investment Initiative builds on the State’s ongoing collaboration with WA’s resources industry and provides a mechanism to partner to deliver projects with lasting benefits for generations of Western Australians,” Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said.
“I welcome Reg Howard-Smith’s appointment as the inaugural chair of the RCCI Advisory Committee – his extensive experience in both the resources industry and working with government will help to ensure this initiative is a success.
“The expression of interest process launched today gets the ball rolling on negotiations with the sector to match contributions to the iconic RCII projects as well as projects that will provide long-term social and economic benefits in the communities that resources companies operate in.
“I am confident that other WA resources companies will join this worthwhile initiative. Together, we can improve the lives of Western Australians and make our state a better place to live for many years to come.”
