Community

We actively seek opportunities to contribute to social progress, whether it’s building diversity, capability and leadership within our workforce, or driving social and economic impact in the regions in which we operate. 

Thriving communities

Our global business brings us into contact with diverse communities and we believe that our success is tied to theirs. That is why we are committed to building safe, resilient and thriving communities around all of our operating sites. From our focus on safety and management of natural resources to our contribution to social and economic development we strive to prevent or minimise harm and enhance our positive impact on communities. 

Our approach to how we engage stakeholders and manage community investment and concerns is outlined in a dedicated group standard and highlighted in our Code of Business Conduct. 

By engaging closely with our community stakeholders in regions and across our sites of operation, we are able to provide targeted funding to meet the specific needs of our communities.  Alongside funding, Orica is well placed to offer in-kind support for community organisations - applying our expertise, technology and utilising our networks to deliver assistance to our communities as needed.  

Community impact and investment fund

impact fund framework

We look for opportunities and are focused contributing to communities by creating meaningful positive economic, social and environmental impact, with enduring value. We manage our impact and create value through: 

Inclusive business practices and culture

  • Strive to create positive impact on society by having policies, practices and governance processes that are integrated, fair and align with expectations of our local communities and other stakeholders. 
  • Embed an inclusive, respectful and responsive approach to community engagement, seeking to understand and address the needs and expectations of our communities at a corporate, site and regional level. 
Little nippers

Community investment

  • Deliver more targeted, strategic investment prioritising initiatives that are responsive to the needs and priorities of the community.
  • Identify potential initiatives which leverage our existing technologies and capabilities to create innovative solutions to complex social and environmental problems for communities and commercial value for our business and customers.

Partnerships

Globally, we face enormous sustainability challenges. We have a much greater chance of success in overcoming these challenges and increasing our positive impact through partnerships with all our stakeholders. Collaboration creates better outcomes, and we look for opportunities to work with industry bodies, NGO’s, research and educational institutions, customers, suppliers and peers to create innovative solutions and shared value, leveraging our core capabilities, assets and networks. 

We already work with external partners across our business on projects that deliver a range of commercial, environmental and social benefits. We also seek opportunities to collaborate through voluntary initiatives.

Our current partnerships 

Aust_academy_tech_engineering

Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering –partnering since 2009

We are the founding partner of the Academy’s Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR) project. Since 2009 we have worked with the Academy to bring STELR materials into science classrooms in communities in which we operate across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation –partnering since 2011

great_barrier_reef_foundation_logo

We have partnered with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation since 2011, which has included providing funding to the Reef Blitz program and the development of a three-year partnership commencing in 2018 for a Reef Innovation Fund. 

The Smith Family – partnering since 2014

the_smith_family

We have proudly supported The Smith Family, Australia’s largest children’s education charity, through their flagship Learning for Life scholarship program in the Pilbara since 2014. We are also the founding partner of The Smith Family’s Learning for Life community in Gladstone, Queensland and are supporting a three-year project to digitise The Smith Family’s Let’s Count early numeracy program to extend their reach. We have also been able to offer this training to early childhood educators in the communities of our manufacturing sites in Limay, The Philippines and Gomia, India. 

Other Major Multi-year Initiatives

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Hunter, NSW, Australia 

Project Cure - partnering to strengthen healthcare systems globally, Denver, North America providing support in Dominican Republic, Ghana and Mexico

Funzeleo STEM Education, Zambia, Africa 

Enhancement of Grace Campbell Reserve, Bayside Council, NSW, Australia 

House of Learning and Development, Jakarta, Indonesia 

Spotlight on

  • Australian bushfires
  • Clontarf Foundation
  • YCAB Foundation

Orica donates $1million to Australian bushfire relief

Community spotlight busfiresFollowing a disastrous fire season in Australia in 2020, Orica stepped up to support the fire-fighting effort as well as the ongoing bushfire recovery.

We donated a total of $1 million including a $400,000 donation to the NSW Rural Fire Service and $400,000 to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. The remaining $200,000 was set aside to match dollar-for-dollar donations made by our employees to a range of charities responding to community, wildlife and economic impacts of the bushfire including Foodbank Australia, WIRES and Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. 

Improving education outcomes for young Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander men

spotlight clontarfIn 2020 we launched a national partnership with the Clontarf Foundation in Australia. The partnership aims to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men by setting up academies in school communities around Australia. 

The Clontarf Foundation currently have 135 academies with approximately 8,000 boys enrolled in programs nationwide. By supporting young indigenous men to stay at high school longer and receive a better education, the Foundation is helping address the disadvantage cycle across health, education, employment and incarceration. 

“We as a Foundation are excited to enter into this new partnership with Orica and begin to engage locally where we co-exist. Private Sector funding brings with it so much richness and variety to our programmes and in turn, our Academy members lives. We are extremely grateful that many of the young men in our programmes will now have the opportunity to explore the mining industry, via Orica’s vast array of operational sites.”  
Russell Aitken, Partnerships Manager NSW, Clontarf Foundation

Partnering with YCAN Foundation to deliver computer training to children in Indonesia

ycab spotlightOrica has partnered with the YCAB Foundation in Indonesia to support youth development near our operations on Wetar Island. YCAB are delivering the Computer Fun Learning program to students in grade 4 – 6. The children have access to 20 computers at YCAB’s learning centre and classes are delivered Monday to Friday.  

 “Hi, my name is Putri. I am a student in grade 5. I am now in Computer Fun Learning kids level 2, and this is the second year I am attending this course. I don’t have a computer in my house, that’s why I like this course, because I can learn about using computer. I also enjoy the class because I can learn English from the software we are using. I usually finish the tasks given in the classroom pretty quickly, and I help my friends finishing their tasks."  

"I want to be a computer teacher when I grow up, because I have learned about computer and I like helping her friends in the classroom. Thank you YCAB & Orica for this computer course!”