Rio Tinto & Coal & Allied

Rio Tinto PLC
16 December 2003



Rio Tinto and Coal & Allied agree new management contract



Rio Tinto and Coal & Allied (Rio Tinto 75.7 per cent) have agreed to combine
Coal & Allied corporate and service functions with those of Pacific Coal.  Under
this arrangement, Pacific Coal (Rio Tinto 100 per cent) will be renamed Rio
Tinto Coal Australia.  Rio Tinto Coal Australia will manage both Pacific Coal's
existing assets, as well as Coal & Allied's assets in the Hunter Valley under a
management services agreement providing for a centralised management structure
under which costs will be shared.



Both businesses will be managed from a single corporate office based in
Brisbane.   This will result in a reduction in the number of management,
corporate and administrative positions in Coal & Allied and Pacific Coal,
significantly reducing head office costs.



The new management arrangements will take effect from 1 February 2004 and will
be implemented progressively.  Dr Grant Thorne, currently managing director of
Pacific Coal, will be the managing director of Rio Tinto Coal Australia and is
intended to be appointed as the managing director of Coal & Allied with effect
from 1 February 2004.  Mr Gary Goldberg, currently managing director of Coal &
Allied, will assume another senior executive role within Rio Tinto from the
middle of February 2004.



For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                        AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                               Media Relations

Lisa Cullimore                                Ian Head
Office:  [phone]                 Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                  Mobile: [phone]

Investor Relations                            Investor Relations

Peter Cunningham                              Dave Skinner
Office:  [phone]                 Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                  Mobile: [phone]
Richard Brimelow                              Daphne Morros
Office:  [phone]                 Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                  Mobile: [phone]



Website: www.riotinto.com


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