Rio Tinto damages another cultural site

Updated: 22:03 BST, 22 September 2023

Rio Tinto has damaged another Aboriginal site three years after the destruction of sacred rock shelters at Juukan Gorge.

The FTSE 100 firm has paused its mining activities at an iron ore mine in Western Australia after an Indigenous rock shelter was damaged.

A rock and small tree were displaced from the registered cultural heritage site after a blast that occurred at the Nammuldi site last month.

Concern: Rio Tinto has paused its mining activities at an iron ore mine in Western Australia after an Indigenous rock shelter was damaged

It comes three years after the Anglo-Australian company was condemned for destroying rock shelters at Juukan Gorge.

Rio Tinto said it was working out what had happened with the Muntulgura Guruma people.

Operations boss Simon Trott said drone footage suggested there was no structural damage to the shelter.

Aaron Rayner, of the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation, said: ‘WGAC is disappointed by the report but is yet to establish the extent of the impact.

Readers Also Like: Demands growing for cut in VAT as hospitality sector reels

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

READ SOURCE