Uproar over Rio Tinto Destruction of Juukan Gorge Pauses BHP Plans for South Flank Expansion

Australian mining giant BHP is reportedly reviewing all 57 of the permissions it has been granted to destroy heritage sites in the Pilbara, in the wake of the Juukan Gorge disaster, in which Rio Tinto blew up a 46,000 year-old significant site to access higher-grade iron ore, which led to sacking of 3 of Rio’s senior executives, including the global chief executive Mr Jean-Sébastien Jacques, after sustained global condemnation and shareholder revolt. BHP’s president of minerals Australia Mr Edgar Basto told a federal inquiry the company will not act on any of the permissions it has without further extensive consultation with traditional owners. He said “Juukan Gorge has had everyone’s focus on cultural heritage. It was a tragic event and we all need to learn from it, and we are determined to ensure that is the case.”

The comments were made under questioning by a federal parliamentary inquiry launched in the wake of the Rio Tinto blast, which is examining the mining sector's approach to cultural heritage.

In June, Guardian Australia revealed that the WA minister for Aboriginal affairs Mr Ben Wyatt approved BHP’s South Flank expansion, three days after the destruction of Juukan Gorge made global headlines, allowing BHP to destroy up to 15,000 years old 40 Aboriginal heritage of Banjima traditional people at its South Flank mine near Newman in WA's Pilbara.

BHP's head of Indigenous engagement Ms Libby Ferrari said the Banjima people had expressed concerns about impact to some heritage sites in South Flank during field work conducted before BHP applied for Section 18 approval to destroy them. She said BHP supported the Banjima people in raising their concerns with the state regulator and has set up a heritage advisory council with the Banjima comprising Banjima elders and senior BHP representatives to bolster engagement over mine planning at South Flank

Under section 18 of WA’s heritage laws, mining companies can apply to destroy sites and are rarely refused. Traditional owners have no right of objection or reply. Agreements negotiated between traditional owners and mining companies effectively gag the signatory, who is prevented from objecting to any Section 18 application. The WA Government has described Section 18 of its Aboriginal Heritage Act as outdated and has been reviewing the legislation for some time.

Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation issued a statement on behalf of the Banjima people, saying they do not support the destruction of sites of cultural significance. They said "We stand with all Aboriginal traditional owners and particularly our Pilbara brothers and sisters, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura, at this time in our abhorrence at the destruction of the Juukan rock shelters, and those suffering the threat of or having recently experienced similar site destruction.”
#BHP #RioTinto #IronOre #JuukanGorge #SteelguruBusinessnews #Onlinenews #MiningNews

[tillydivine]

It’s their right god made the caves the Church of England owns the company it’s their GOD GIVEN RIGHTS AS CHRISTIANS 😂