Sustainability Report 2021

Case Study: Nova Operation Progressive Rehabilitation A study of locally disturbed sites was undertaken at our Nova Operation in FY21 to determine regeneration and rehabilitation success, particularly density and species diversity. This anecdotal information will be used as a guide to design and conduct revegetation trials at Nova as part of mine closure planning. Borefield disturbance and rehabilitation success was the focus of the study, to understand the restoration success of areas adjacent to current water bores. The key observations from this regeneration study included: • overall, excellent natural regeneration was observed at all bore sites, irrespective of the adjacent vegetation type • the best results were observed where >0.1m of topsoil was present • regeneration (density and species diversity) was visually less in areas with <0.1m of topsoil or mixing with deeper topsoils • some evidence that niches provided by fine and coarse vegetation debris plays a key role in the establishment of new native plants on these sites • some indication that less disturbance (ripping) delivers a better result • good plant recruitment without fire and/or smoke; and • some local native species present on disturbed sites that were not observed in the adjacent bushland. This highlights the need to not entirely base species lists for restoration on mature analogue vegetation sites. Key disturbance species should be investigated, their role considered, and species mixes adjusted. Future trial recommendations and programs of work at Nova will include: • the application of smoke water adjacent to areas with no smoke water to assess effectiveness • the use of a native seed direct seeder; and • the trial of vacuum seed collection and spreading of topsoil. We will continue to monitor the success of our revegetation trials to contribute to a better understanding of future rehabilitation design as part of ongoing mine closure planning at the Nova Operation. In mining, the main non-mineral waste streams include tyres, oils and greases, scrap metal, rubble and office and kitchen consumables. This employee- led, I-GO Green Waste Reduction Initiative has resulted in the recycling of 140t of waste originally destined for the Nova Operation on-site landfill. Since the launch of the waste reduction initiative, we have successfully: • introduced three new sustainable waste pathways • composted and recycled approximately 140t of waste, diverting this from Nova landfill • eliminated 100% single-use plastic food packaging from the Nova dry mess, by eliminating or substituting to sustainable food packaging supplied by BioPak. This includes plastic containers, bags, cutlery, coffee cups and lids and plates • maintained organics contamination levels below 5%; and • continued to improve our waste management and recycling in other areas, including recycling of cardboard bails, small batteries, light globes, aerosol cans and printer cartridges, as well as introducing beer taps at the Nova wet mess to reduce can and glass bottle waste. IGO have been recognised for this industry leading waste management initiative, being nominated as finalists in both the AMEC Environmental Awards and the WA Waste Authority Waste Sorted Awards. During FY21, 566t of materials were recycled at our Nova Operation, including organic waste, co-mingled waste (including glass, hard plastics and cardboard) and scrap metal. Within our exploration department, the IGO Paterson team is playing an important role in championing waste management to reduce environmental impacts in remote exploration camps. The Paterson camps segregate and recycle hard plastics, soft plastics, organics and other co-mingled recyclables. Soft plastics are returned to the Port Hedland supermarkets for recycling, with the other waste recycled through the local recycling center. We also collect drink containers for the ‘Containers for Change’ scheme, with all funds collected being donated to IGO-supported charities. WATER MANAGEMENT The increasing pressure on global freshwater resources is a well-recognised concern for many stakeholders. Water is a critical resource, and its effective management is fundamental to the sustainability of IGO’s operations, and the ecosystems and communities in which we operate. We use water in all parts of our business. We acknowledge the potential of our operations to impact water resources and take a proactive approach to responsible water management – at a minimum, we comply with all regulatory requirements. In Western Australia, water abstraction is subject to a licence issued by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). In FY21, we were compliant with our licence obligations and actively monitored abstraction volumes and groundwater levels to ensure ongoing compliance. IGO relies on the withdrawal of available groundwater at our Nova Operation and exploration projects, due to the remote nature of these activities. The GWW surrounding the Nova Operation is characterised by low relief paleo drainage systems, with no defined rivers, and several ephemeral creeks and watercourses. Salt lakes are relatively common across the GWW. The groundwater is typically saline to hypersaline. There are no competing users of the water resource in the vicinity of the Nova Operation, with the nearest other users being pastoralists approximately 25km from the mine. In FY21, we conducted a detailed review of the water balance using external consultants SRK. We actively manage and track our water inputs, consumption and outputs, which are depicted in our water balance graphic, and also disclosed in our performance data on page 104. We continue to look for opportunities to improve the efficiency of our water usage. There were no reported or significant material spills or unapproved discharges from our operations in FY21. Based on available science, the woodlands surrounding the mine do not rely on tapping into the saline used by the mine. We complete annual vegetation impact assessments to determine if our abstraction is impacting vegetation health and monitor groundwater levels to check changes in levels and chemistry. To date, vegetation monitoring indicated that neither groundwater drawdown nor mounding has had an impact on the overlying forest. Further, as the groundwater is hypersaline, it is likely that few higher organisms, if any, rely on groundwater as a water source. IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021— 79