INDIGENOUS PEOPLES – WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Rio set indigenous precedent at Argyle

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Original article by Victoria Laurie
The Australian – Page: 5 : 16-Jun-20

Professor Ciaran O’Faircheallaigh of Griffith University says a clause in Rio Tinto’s agreement with traditional owners regarding the Argyle diamond mine could be used to protect heritage sites in the Pilbara. The agreement signed in 2005 ensures that Rio Tinto cannot use section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act to destroy sites that are of cultural significance to indigenous people. Rio Tinto’s recent blasting that destroyed ancient rock caves at its Brockman mine had been approved under section 18 in 2013.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Heritage site row forces BHP to hold fire on $5b project

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 12-Jun-20

BHP has halted plans to destroy indigenous heritage sites as part of its development of the US3.6 billion ($5.2 billion) South Flank iron ore mine in Western Australia. The mine is slated to produce 80 million tonnes of ore per annum, with the WA government having given BHP permission to proceed with destruction of the sites in May. BHP has indicated that it will not disturb any of the sites in question until it has had more talks with the Banjima people. The traditional owners had welcomed the opportunities afforded by the development of the South Flank mine when a comprehensive agreement on its development was signed in 2015.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

BHP to destroy at least 40 Aboriginal sites, up to 15,000 years old, to expand Pilbara mine

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Original article by Lorena Allam, Calla Wahlquist
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 11-Jun-20

A proposed expansion of BHP’s South Flank iron ore mine that will result in the destruction of rock shelters and other significant indigenous sites was approved by the Western Australian government on 29 May. This was just days after Rio Tinto attracted global criticism for destroying ancient rock shelters during blasting at its Brockman iron ore mine. WA’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt has urged BHP to work with the traditional owners to protect the heritage sites.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

Rio Tinto blasting of Juukan Gorge Indigenous site prompts call for heritage protections

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Original article by Toby Hussey, Karen Michelmore, Holly Ferguson
abc.net au – Page: Online : 29-May-20

Rio Tinto recently destroyed two ancient rock caves in Western Australia’s Pilbara region as a result of blasting activity. It had secured permission for the blasting in 2013 under section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act, which allows landowners to seek exemption from laws that ban work that is likely to impact Aboriginal sites. WA Mining and Pastoral Region MP Robin Chapple has called on Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt to review all approved Section 18 notices following the destruction of the caves. Chris Salisbury, the CEO of iron ore at Rio Tinto, says the company takes cultural heritage "very seriously".

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

Indigenous-owned iron ore venture gets $12m NAIF loan

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 20-Sep-19

The federal government’s $5 billion Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility has made a $12.5 million loan to the $45 million First Iron mining project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The project, which is being developed by the Australian Aboriginal Mining Corporation, will use the loan to construct new supporting infrastructure for the First Iron mine, which is to supply ore for Fortescue Mining’s Cloudbreak operations. The NAIF has now awarded $1.4 billion in concessional loans to 13 projects in Australia’s north, with the NAIF stating the loans will help create over 4,000 jobs and generate $3 billion in public benefit.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL MINING CORPORATION

Miners braced for wave of cultural-loss claims

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Original article by Victoria Laurie
The Australian – Page: 2 : 4-Apr-19

Indigenous land owners in Western Australia’s Goldfields region will lodge a compensation claim following the High Court’s recent landmark ruling in the Timber Creek case. Malcolm O’Dell, the lawyer representing the Tjiwarl people, says the compensation claim for economic and cultural loss resulting from mining activity may include more than 100 mining companies. Indigenous people are also expected to pursue compensation claims for mining activity in WA’s Pilbara and Kimberley regions.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, THE CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, TJIWARL CORPORATION, YAMATJI MARLPA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

Historic native title ruling: Fortescue up for ‘astronomical’ sum

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Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 21-Jul-17

Fortescue Metals­ Group has advised that a native title ruling is unlikely to affect production at its Solomon iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The Federal Court has ruled that the Yindjibarndi people are entitled to exclusive native title rights over a large area of land in the state, including the site of the Solomon mine. The Yindjibarndi could potentially be entitled to compensation of around $A100m for royalties from the mine. Fortescue shares closed 3.5 per cent lower at $A5.19 in response to the judgment.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, WIRLU-MURRA YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO