Australia is working with Uganda to help achieve economic growth and deliver social benefits to the Ugandan people through effective governance of the mining sector.
A delegation of Ugandan ministers, parliamentarians and senior officials recently participated in an Australian study tour to learn about the challenges involved in the sustainable management of resources.
As a world leader in mining with significant development expertise, Australia is well-placed to share our experience and help partner countries overcome the challenges the mining sector presents.
In resource-rich countries, the mining sector can unlock significant socio-economic benefits, reduce poverty and support progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The extent to which these benefits can drive development depends heavily on how countries manage their mineral assets and resulting revenues and utilise this sustainably and equitably.
The study tour covered community engagement, geosciences, sustainable infrastructure, collecting revenue, monitoring of operations, environmental concerns and managing political risks. This included presentations from Australian state and federal government agencies involved in the sustainable regulation and management of the extractives sector.
In the Pilbara, a visit to Woodside Petroleum's operations at Karratha and to the Pilbara Development Commission provided insights into community engagement and infrastructure planning. The Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation in Roebourne gave an insight into how Australia deals with land rights in areas impacted by mining operations and indigenous employment in mining.
It was part of Australia's 'Mining for Development' Program in Africa and is the sixth mining-related study tour for African participants to Australia since August 2011.
Representatives from countries including Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia have all participated in the program.