SUSTAINABILITY
REPORT

OUR COMMUNITY
COMMITMENT

ACHIEVEMENTS 2008	GOALS 2009
Contributed $0.9 million to a range of local programmes and non-profit organisations that support communities around our business sites. Several regional businesses developed corporate responsibility strategies and platforms, incorporating community support plans. New community partnerships and cause-related marketing initiatives began in a number of businesses. Continued to build constructive relationships with environmental groups such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Australia, and Europe. Continued dialogue with key stakeholders near our mills through Community Consultative Forums. Refined the system to identify and measure community investment activities across operating companies. Held the first Australia-wide employee community support event, for the Breast Cancer Network Australia. In 2007–08, our global community investment was equivalent to 1.25 per cent of reported profits.	Launch a pilot employee workplace giving programme in Australia and evaluate its success for implementation in other countries. Identify new community partnerships for PaperlinX corporate division to support. Recognise and support operating companies’ efforts to undertake community partnerships. Integrate measurement of community investment activities from operating companies into the financial reporting system. Ensure the new sustainability position for the group incorporates community/social elements.

ACHIEVEMENTS 2008

GOALS 2009

Contributed $0.9 million to a range of local programmes and non-profit organisations that support communities around our business sites.
Several regional businesses developed corporate responsibility strategies and platforms, incorporating community support plans.
New community partnerships and cause-related marketing initiatives began in a number of businesses.
Continued to build constructive relationships with environmental groups such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Australia, and Europe.
Continued dialogue with key stakeholders near our mills through Community Consultative Forums.
Refined the system to identify and measure community investment activities across operating companies.
Held the first Australia-wide employee community support event, for the Breast Cancer Network Australia.
In 2007–08, our global community investment was equivalent to 1.25 per cent of reported profits.

Launch a pilot employee workplace giving programme in Australia and evaluate its success for implementation in other countries.
Identify new community partnerships for PaperlinX corporate division to support.
Recognise and support operating companies’ efforts to undertake community partnerships.
Integrate measurement of community investment activities from operating companies into the financial reporting system.
Ensure the new sustainability position for the group incorporates community/social elements.

Through its Sustainability Charter, PaperlinX has a made a broad commitment to support communities in which it operates.

Working within Communities

As Australia’s only manufacturer of printing, publishing and office paper, we are the largest single employer in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, and one of the largest private-sector employers in Tasmania. An historic legacy links our four paper mill sites in regional areas of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, and our operations provide positive economic sustainability for these rural communities. From our mills, we work with nearby communities on continuously improving our environmental performance, we host regular public tours and open days, we have open dialogue with environmental groups, and we support local community organisations.

Our many operating companies around the world provide a broad range of community support (see below) through charitable contributions of cash and paper, commercial sponsorships for industry support, cause-related marketing initiatives and employee involvement activities. All of these activities are led by local management to support local organisations.

Community Relations

We have a Community Consultative Forum at each of the Company’s four Australian manufacturing mills to get feedback on our operations and to better understand community concerns. These long-standing forums involve people representing diverse organisations that have an interest in the mills’ operations. These groups provide a valuable contribution to the development of an annual Environmental Improvement Plan that forms part of a site’s Environmental Management Plan, addressing issues such as air and noise emissions, and water and energy use improvements.

Over the past year, works to upgrade the pulp mill at Maryvale in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley to deliver a range of safety, health and environmental benefits resulted in several short-term environmental disturbances involving odour, noise and waste that relate specifically to planned shutdowns and start-ups. We worked with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on these issues and advised nearby communities in advance through local media and communications.

Our businesses also hold briefings throughout the year to provide community and environmental groups with the latest information on the environmental performance of our manufacturing operations and the paper products we market.

Community Partnerships

Our key areas of support are learning and creativity, the environment, health and wellbeing. At a global level, we believe our community support is in line with the size and profitability of the PaperlinX business. Our challenge is to improve measurement and reporting of our community activities across all our operations, particularly paper donations. We also want to blend our corporate giving with an employee workplace giving programme, which would be launched next year in Australia and evaluated for a broader rollout. Many of our operating companies are strengthening their community connections by developing comprehensive corporate responsibility platforms that encompass social and environmental commitments.

For example, our Canadian operations have launched their Atmosphere platform which focuses on making a social contribution while also driving behavioural change in the workplace to measurably improve environmental performance. The Paper Company in the UK has launched its cohesive Corporate Responsibility Programme that includes ethical and workplace health initiatives.

Across our many businesses, the spirit of giving and involvement is strong with employees who assist in raising funds and volunteering for local events and good causes to support charities and communities we work in. PaperlinX supports these efforts. For example, Coast Paper in Canada works with the United Way charity campaign and supplements employee donations from fundraising activities with a corporate donation. In 2007, employees hit 157 per cent of their campaign goal.

Supporting Design and Printing Communities

Many of our businesses are actively involved in providing paper education and supporting professional development to build the talent and creativity of printing and design communities around the world. Spicers Paperpoint School in Australia and Robert Horne’s Know How Academy in the UK are two such examples.

We are involved in creating industry awards to support excellence in print and design for professionals and students. Saxton Scholars, Australian Paper’s annual competition for tertiary students, supports the next generation of graphic designers across Australia. In the UK, Howard Smith Paper Group held their second Graphic Design and Print Awards this year to promote the value and benefits of graphic communications. The Paper Company supports Brief Encounters, an annual awards scheme to promote commercial design to UK degree students.

We work with a number of industry groups in Europe, North America and Australia to tackle specific issues that arise.

Worldwide Community Highlights 2008
The Robert Horne Group in the UK launched a three-year partnership with Childline after employees selected it as the single charity of choice. The Paper Company in the UK developed its Corporate Responsibility Strategy and supports a number of social initiatives including the Big Draw to promote creativity through drawing to children under 12 years of age, and Print IT, which informs 500 schools about the print and paper industry. Our Canadian operations, through their Atmosphere Corporate Responsibility Programme, supported two national charities with a one-time charitable donation and product support: The Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer and prostate cancer and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation donation for general research. Spicers Paper supports the Fifteen Foundation in Australia by donating A$100 from every tonne of Stephen™ paper sold towards the training of an Australian apprentice chef. This helps Fifteen restaurants turn the dreams of underprivileged young people into reality. Spicers also provide paper for the menus and the Foundation’s newsletter. Our affiliate, the Robert Horne Paper Group, will soon support a similar initiative with the Fifteen Foundation in the UK. For several years, PaperlinX has supported the work of Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) by donating paper for its quarterly magazine. In October, our Australian Merchanting and Manufacturing sites held ‘Pink Lady’ morning teas to support the BCNA’s fundraising and PaperlinX matched employee funds raised with a corporate donation. The Spicers Paper Recreate programme with Landcare Australia continues to fund the rehabilitation of ex-landfill sites across Australia through a percentage of sales of Tudor RP 100% Recycled paper. Australian Paper runs a safety recognition scheme that rewards good safety performance at the mill by donating to local charities. In 2007, when safety targets were met, the mill contributed funds for the purchase of vital medical equipment at the Latrobe Regional Hospital.

Worldwide Community Highlights 2008

The Robert Horne Group in the UK launched a three-year partnership with Childline after employees selected it as the single charity of choice.
The Paper Company in the UK developed its Corporate Responsibility Strategy and supports a number of social initiatives including the Big Draw to promote creativity through drawing to children under 12 years of age, and Print IT, which informs 500 schools about the print and paper industry.
Our Canadian operations, through their Atmosphere Corporate Responsibility Programme, supported two national charities with a one-time charitable donation and product support: The Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer and prostate cancer and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation donation for general research.
Spicers Paper supports the Fifteen Foundation in Australia by donating A$100 from every tonne of Stephen™ paper sold towards the training of an Australian apprentice chef. This helps Fifteen restaurants turn the dreams of underprivileged young people into reality. Spicers also provide paper for the menus and the Foundation’s newsletter. Our affiliate, the Robert Horne Paper Group, will soon support a similar initiative with the Fifteen Foundation in the UK.
For several years, PaperlinX has supported the work of Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) by donating paper for its quarterly magazine. In October, our Australian Merchanting and Manufacturing sites held ‘Pink Lady’ morning teas to support the BCNA’s fundraising and PaperlinX matched employee funds raised with a corporate donation.
The Spicers Paper Recreate programme with Landcare Australia continues to fund the rehabilitation of ex-landfill sites across Australia through a percentage of sales of Tudor RP 100% Recycled paper.
Australian Paper runs a safety recognition scheme that rewards good safety performance at the mill by donating to local charities. In 2007, when safety targets were met, the mill contributed funds for the purchase of vital medical equipment at the Latrobe Regional Hospital.

return to top