Gladstone Harbour: a case study of building social licence-to-operate in a multi-use area

摘要: Maintaining a social licence-to-operate is key challenge for industry and regulators. The city of Gladstone in Queensland, Australia, surrounds highly industrialised harbour supporting major industrial activities, including alumina refineries an aluminium smelter, other heavy industry, port facilities and, most recently, three natural gas liquefaction built on nearby Curtis Island. This recent phase growth coincided with the repeated capture unhealthy fish crabs 2011, generating community concern about potential cumulative environmental impacts development. These were difficult to address at time because limited monitoring data scientific knowledge, as well some fractured relationships between stakeholders. In response this debate Healthy Harbour Partnership was formed 2013 by stakeholders from groups all levels government. Experts environmental, economic disciplines assisted evaluate report health harbour. Membership required ongoing deep participation activities which ranged targeted research engagement. Central partnership clearly communicated annual Report Card, derived complex socioeconomic cultural data. A Data Information Management System developed that integrates multiple organisations after automated quality checks, tracks treatments calculates Card scores. intended be meaningful wide variety yet allow access underlying detail. increased transparency robustness has contributed building trust. Conversations now focus likely management scenarios, rather than imagined possibilities, turn paves way reducing business risk industry.