THE BEST OF 2021: Malabar Resources

Malabar Resources

As Malabar Resources prepares for the construction of the Maxwell Underground Mine, they continued to build and strengthen their relationships with those who matter most – members of the Upper Hunter community.

“Community, momentum and preparation defined our year,” chairman Wayne Seabrook said.

“As we managed the post-approval planning process, we focused on our local relationships with community organisations and individuals, which are absolutely vital to our long-term success.

“Through these conversations we were able to provide direct and targeted support for a range of people in our region, many of whom struggled through lockdown.”

Malabar donated school supplies to the Singleton Neighbourhood Centre, a not-for-profit organisation providing emergency relief and financial assistance to those in the local area, supporting roughly 20 families juggling the demands of at-home learning due to school closures.

The Scone Community Pantry, which prepares hot meals for struggling families, received $500 in addition to basic food supplies. Most recently, every student at Jerrys Plains Public School was gifted sporting equipment to help them stay active during lockdown as part of an initiative to improve physical and mental wellbeing.

Malabar also continued its support for the Upper Hunter Education Fund (UHEF) – an important local organisation whose mission is to foster the further education, career and personal development opportunities of young people in the Upper Hunter.

“This year we committed ourselves to checking in with all our community partners to see how we can help,” said Donna McLaughlin, Malabar’s Manager of Health, Safety, Environment and Community.

“We were also fortunate to build new relationships with community organisations that do great work in our local community.”

Malabar has donated more than $500,000 to the community to date, providing targeted donations to education, aged care, community organisations and local sporting clubs in need.

In addition to direct community investment, Malabar continued to make significant progress on the rehabilitation of the Maxwell Infrastructure site – formally an open-cut mine – with more than 850 hectares of land rehabilitated.

Malabar’s focus in 2022 is the construction of the Maxwell Underground Mine.

“The entire team is beyond excited to begin construction on a project that has been close to a decade in the making, and one that will contribute to the growth and vitality of the Upper Hunter for decades to come,” Mr Seabrook said.