Ethics, Sustainability and Business

This article discusses the impacts of mining on the socio-economic and environmental well-being of indigenous Australians in Australia. It explores the historical aspects of indigenous cultures, the influence of colonization, policies and legislation, and the link between past and present socio-economic disadvantage. The article also suggests recommendations for better corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability strategies in the mining industry.

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Ethics, Sustainability and Business 2
Part 1
Issue
Mining is a major source of income and employment for most indigenous people in Australia.
However, it has also had negative impacts on the socio-economic and environmental well being
of the Indigenous Australians hence the need for better CSR and Environmental Sustainability
strategies.
Introduction
The indigenous Australians have a rich history. Their origin is distinct and the culture has
remained somewhat consistent despite the dynamic nature of their surrounding environment
(Blandy, 2010). The Aboriginals have endured a number of challenges in the past including
policies which impacted negatively on their health, beliefs and possession of the land. In this
paper, the foundational aspects of the indigenous cultures in Australia shall be discussed before
outlining how policies, colonization and legislation have impacted on the culture. The link
between the past and present socio economic advantage shall be outlined as well. The paper is
based on a discussion of mining as a business activity and its impacts on the social, economic
and environmental lives of the indigenous people.
Foundational aspects
The culture of the indigenous Australians especially the Aboriginals was often centered
on a number of activities, beliefs, celebrations and ceremonies. The history of the indigenous
cultures can be traced back to the dreamtime, a term which has greatly been used to describe the
aboriginal’s mythology. It depicts the religion and culture of the aboriginals from 5000 years

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ago. The culture of the indigenous Australians mainly emphasized on taking care of land. Most
of their activities therefore revolved around environmental conservation in a bid to show good
care of the land which was considered a key possession. The Aboriginals took part in agricultural
practices as well as hunting and gathering. These formed the basis of their economic and social
well being (Edwards, 2014). Most of the portions of the lands inhabited by the Aboriginals were
forested areas. This perhaps explains why hunting and gathering was considerably one of the
most embraced activities. In addition to the people’s reverence for land, oral traditions were also
embraced. This was done mainly to enhance sustainability of the social ties and beliefs among
the indigenous people. Language groupings as well as the division of tribes also characterized
the culture of the indigenous Australians.
Influence of colonization, policies and legislation
The land which had initially been occupied by the indigenous people was rich in minerals
and fit for agricultural activities. Additionally, the land allowed for pastoralism. This led to the
rise of colonialism a development which later resulted in a number of radical changes in the
social and economic lives of the Aboriginals (Johnston, 2010). The arrival of the white settlers
reduced the indigenous people to passive owners of their land. They considered it jail. The
settlers used some of the indigenous people as source of labor in their firms. Colonization
therefore led to a number of impacts on the lives of the indigenous people. The aboriginals
mainly depended on hunting and environmental management as their main source of economic
well being. Through massive appropriation of the land, this became impossible hence drastically
affecting their living standards.

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It is a fact worth noting that there are no policies which had been put in place to take care
of the aboriginals especially during the colonization era. This made them more vulnerable to the
massive changes which arose as a result of the arrival of the white settlers. The absence of
protective policies gave the intruders more power compared to the indigenous inhabitants. They
therefore used the resources to expand their own territories at the expense of the Aboriginals.
Most of the indigenous people were displaced and pushed to the periphery of the land they had
originally owned (Lourandos, 2014). This implies that they only owned a small portion of what
had been originally theirs before colonization.
There have been a number of legal stances in Australia which have had negative impacts
on the social and economic well being of the Aboriginals. For instance the labor act which
exempted the indigenous Australians from the labor market. Due to this regulation, the
aboriginals could not get employment hence deterioration in their living standards. Going down
the history of the Aboriginals, it is a fact worth noting that most of the legislative measures have
confined the Aboriginals to limited access to health and education services. This did not only
affect their economic and social well being in the past but continues to be a major challenge to
the indigenous people currently living in Australia.
Link between past and present socio-economic disadvantage
During dreamtime, the indigenous Australians were considerably independent. The
derived their satisfaction from environmental management and took part in activities which did
not only indicate their reverence for land but were equally safe to the environment. The rise of
colonization however changed things (Rebe, 2012). The land they depended on became scarce
hence affecting their social and economic status. The reduced access to land meant they could

Ethics, Sustainability and Business 5
hunter or gather. This drastically impacted on the economic well being of the Aboriginals.
Furthermore the displacement by white settlers slightly distracted the culture of the indigenous
people as they became scattered hence were not able to perform the traditional ceremonies.
The same trend in the social and economic struggles among the indigenous people can be
tracked to the current state of affairs. Despite the fact that the indigenous people form a
considerable portion of the entire Australian population, records indicate that the level of poverty
is still high among the indigenous people. Issues of sickness and violence are other factors which
characterized the low economic levels and unstable social structures among the indigenous
people. This could be attributed to the limited access to education and health services.
Consequently, most indigenous people in the current Australia are not able to get employment
due to limited education and poor health status (Walsh, 2013). It can therefore be deduced that
the indigenous Australians struggled socially and economically in the past due to the rise of
colonization. Their current struggles could be attributed to lack of access to health and education
hence indicating a loophole which could be easily fixed through the incorporation of the right
corporate social strategies.

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Part 2
Current Position
The historical policies and legislative approaches have positioned the indigenous
Australians rather precariously. The continued seclusion of the Aboriginals from major
government services in line with education and health has only served to make matters worse. As
a result, there is need for appropriate CSR measures which would be crucial in reviving not only
the social but also the economic well being of the indigenous people.
Mining is considered as the backbone of economic strength in Australia. Mineral exports
in the country comprise about 35% of Australia’s total exports. This explains why the country
has been considered as a lucky one. Most of the industries have been established with a special
link to mining hence indicating that it is an extensive venture in the land.
Despite the fact that mining has a direct impact on the economy of Australia, it would be worth
to note that the processes have a number of environmental impacts. These impacts easily
overflow to the people who occupy the surrounding environments. Based on the historical
records, the lands which were originally inhabited by the indigenous people were rich in
minerals such as iron, gold and coal just to mention but few. This attracted the establishment of
mining industries in the area (Williams, 2014). The unfortunate occurrence is the fact that the
rise of these industries has never came with any economic gain to the indigenous people. They
have been displaced and the environmental impacts of mining majorly affected agricultural
activities which the indigenous individuals depended on.
There is an inevitable need for the mining companies situated in the indigenous lands to
carry out activities which are not only environmentally friendly but also enhance the economic

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well being of the indigenous people. The CSR strategies in this case may include offering
employment opportunities to the Aboriginals hence they can work in the mining companies and
earn a living. In addition, the mining company can sponsor the establishment of health and
learning facilities. By building schools and hospitals in such areas, the indigenous people have
access to education and better health services which in turn enhances their social well being.
With good health, the people can work, earn a living and improve their standards. With good
education, they are able to land employment opportunities not only in the mining companies but
other industries as well. To improve the access to the industries, there is need to develop
infrastructure. The mining company may also consider incorporating this as a CSR strategy to
the advantage of the indigenous people. In a bid to enhance environmental sustainability, the
mining company needs to oversee the rehabilitation of land formerly destroyed through mining.
Such approaches may include filling up the depressions created from mining activities. The
rehabilitated land can then be used for agricultural activities where the indigenous people are
given an upper hand to posses and practice economically empowering farming activities.

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Part 3
Recommendations
 The mining company needs to incorporate activities which do not only respect the
indigenous people but also improve their living standards. This can be achieved by
creating employment opportunities for the indigenous people staying around the
company.
 The mining companies in collaboration with the government ought to establish social
amenities such as hospitals and schools. This would improve the indigenous peoples’
access to these major services which have a special link to their economic and social well
being.
 There is need to build better roads and communication networks to enhance access to
various parts. This would not only improve the effectiveness and flow of services at the
industry but also enhance the movement of the indigenous people to the various facilities
for instance school and hospitals.
 As a strategy to enhance environmental conservation and sustainability, the mining
companies ought to rehabilitate the lands formerly destroyed by mining practices. This
strategy involves filling up the depressions and excavations resulting from mining
activities. Additionally, the mining company through collaboration with the relevant
stakeholders may introduce the indigenous people to productive agricultural activities.
This would not only enhance environmental sustainability but also an improvement in the
living standards of the indigenous people.

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 The mining company also needs to embrace proper disposal measures for the waste
products emanating from the industries. This would be essential in minimizing the effects
that such wastes have on the environment and by extension, on the indigenous people.
 The company can also collaborate with the government agencies, plan and sponsor
cultural events which also entail interactive sessions on environmental sustainability
strategies. This would help inform the indigenous people on approaches to enhancing
environmental sustainability while also strengthening social ties.

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References
Blandy, S. (2010). Law, boundaries and the production of space. Social & Legal Studies. 19(3),
pp. 275–284.
Edwards, W. (2014). An Introduction to Aboriginal Societies. Journal of Social Science Press.
9(3), pp. 75–84.
Johnston, E. (2010). Indigenous Australians and the Law. New York: Routledge-Cavendish
Lourandos, H. (2014). New Perspectives in Australian Prehistory. United Kingdom: Cambridge
University Press.
Rebe, T. (2012). Unearthed: The Aboriginal Tasmanians of Kangaroo Island. Kent Town:
Wakefield Press
Walsh, M. (2013). Language and Culture in Aboriginal Australia. Journal of Aboriginal Studies.
2(1), pp. 191–193.
Williams, G. (2014). Blackshield and Williams Australian Constitutional Law and Theory.
Annandale, NSW: Federation Press.