Community Investment Built to Outlast the Mine
Strong community relationships are built on what continues to work — not simply what is delivered.
From mine development through operations to closure, mining companies invest in community livelihoods, food and water security, environmental improvement and local capability. These investments can contribute to community wellbeing, strengthen relationships and support a company's social licence to operate. Their lasting value depends on whether the systems established can function within the real conditions of the communities responsible for maintaining them.
Independent design authority at every stage
EDGE5 provides independent assessment, design, technical oversight and implementation support for community and environmental investments, from before a mine opens to after it closes.
Foundations for community trust
Early investment decisions shape community relationships for the life of a mine. EDGE5 assesses local conditions and designs food, water and productive land-use systems that match community resources, priorities and skills.
Outcome Programs designed to be maintained locally from the start.
Local capability, not ongoing dependency
EDGE5 supports the design and delivery of livelihood systems, water harvesting, soil improvement, food security and practical training. Local trainer development and mentoring build the community's capacity to manage these systems themselves.
Outcome Capability that stays in the community.
Handover readiness
As closure approaches, the question is whether programs can continue without company funding, contractors or technical assistance. EDGE5 assesses each program against the Survival Gates while there is still time and support to fix weaknesses.
Outcome Weaknesses found before support is withdrawn.
Testing what continues to function
Completion reports rarely show how systems perform once responsibility transfers. EDGE5 provides independent reviews of local capability and productive systems after handover.
Outcome An independent view of what is still working, and where corrective action is needed.
The EDGE5 Survival Gates™
Before a system is approved for implementation, it must pass five gates. Failure at any one of them predicts fragility after handover.
- Gate 01Water
Will the system function through dry seasons without external supply?
- Gate 02Soil
Can food production be maintained within real soil capacity?
- Gate 03Labour
Can it be maintained within real household or institutional labour capacity?
- Gate 04Skills
Can users adapt the system without outside assistance?
- Gate 05Authority
Who makes decisions when problems occur?
All five gates must pass.
The weakest gate sets the limit. If there is water for fifty households but labour for twenty, the design is for twenty.
One gate fails: redesign before proceeding.
Two gates fail: reduce the scale and redesign.
Three or more fail: do not fund the system as designed.
Field experience inside the resource sector
Greg Knibbs brings more than 30 years of field experience across Australia, Africa and Asia. His resource-sector work includes Western Mining Corporation, Resolute Mining, Azumah Resources, Indophil Resources, Keegan Resources and Sumatra Copper & Gold.
Work is delivered through direct consulting, independent technical oversight, or implementation with qualified associates and local delivery partners, as each project requires.
When the Project Ends, Will the Benefits Continue?
Mining companies invest substantial resources in community development, water systems, agriculture, livelihoods and training. But completing a project does not guarantee that its benefits will continue after external support ends.
This EDGE5 Position Paper examines the evidence behind post-handover challenges and outlines practical approaches to strengthening long-term community investment.
Free PDF. No form or registration required. Opens in a new tab.
Community investment should create value during the life of a mine — and long after it closes.
Whether your project is in development, operating or approaching closure, the first step is a conversation about where your community programs sit against the Survival Gates.