Traditionally, the community involvement of most Australian mining companies was largely unplanned or, in the case of purpose built towns associated with new operations, primarily focused on infrastructure provision. To a large extent community interaction, whilst unavoidable, was considered secondary to the technical business of running a mine.

Over the last decade however, there has been a concerted drive within the sector to change how mines interact with their communities. Most companies have made public commitments to engage on a much more informed basis with affected communities and other stakeholders on matters of mutual concern.

The primary business driver for this enhanced attention to community engagement is a desire to achieve competitive advantage through self-regulation and community and employee endorsement; commonly referred to as a company's "social licence to operate." In a global environment of constant scrutiny, corporate guarantee is now as important for risk management as sovereign guarantee.