Community engagement and social responsibility

Understanding Community engagement and social responsibility

This module explores how organisations can build trust, meet ethical standards, and positively contribute to communities through structured community engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It defines key principles, outlines best practices for stakeholder relationships, highlights real-world CSR initiatives, and explains how to measure and report social impact. The training is designed for corporate, mining, and local government contexts.

By the end of this module, you will be able to understand:

• Community Engagement
• Social Responsibility
• Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in Australia
• Best Practices in Community Engagement
• Social Responsibility in Action
• Measuring and Reporting Impact

Relevant Australian Legislation:

• Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) – Reporting requirements for large businesses to address modern slavery in operations and supply chains.
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) – Ensures safe and healthy working environments, tied to social responsibility.
• Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) – Governs environmental obligations.
• Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Laws – Enforced by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
• ASIC Corporate Governance Guidelines – Encourage transparent CSR reporting for listed companies.
• Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)

Covers serious misconduct such as bribery, corruption and abuse of position, which may arise from unmanaged conflicts of interest.

• Workplace Codes of Conduct and Ethics Policies

Most organisations are required to implement internal policies that set expectations for ethical behaviour, disclosure, recusal and decision-making processes.

• Whistleblower Protection Laws

Provide protections for individuals who report misconduct or conflicts of interest in good faith, supporting ethical reporting and compliance.

This module will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.