Major miner Rio Tinto injected $15.3 billion in the Australian economy in 2022 by spending more on Australian suppliers.
The company has an ongoing commitment to support the communities where it operates with the $15.3 billion spent over 6,200 businesses, an increase of almost 9 per cent on 2021.
Over $565 million of the amount was spent with Indigenous businesses in a 40 per cent increase from 2021.
The spending spree helped support tens of thousands of Australian jobs and delivered significant economic contributions to communities across the country, included Australian owned and operated businesses and locally owned and managed branches of global companies.
Globally, Rio Tinto engages with over 20,000 suppliers, and owns a variety of operations in Australia, including in the Pilbara. It also owns the now-shuttered Argyle diamond mine.
“Supporting local businesses in the communities where we operate is a key priority for Rio Tinto,” Rio Tinto chief executive Australia Kellie Parker said.
“We strive to employ local people, buy local products and engage local services – especially from Indigenous, small and regional businesses.
“We are working hard to improve our approach to Indigenous business development and engagement in Australia, and while there is still more work to do, last year we significantly increased our spend with Indigenous suppliers.
“We couldn’t do what we do without our local supplier partners and having good relationships with them helps us find better ways to provide the materials the world needs and innovate to decarbonise our operations.”