TRADITIONAL OWNERS DISMAYED BY IRON ORE MINER'S APPLICATION TO IMPACT HERITAGE SITES

BY GERARD MAZZA

Wintawari Guruma country. Credit: Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation.

Wintawari Guruma Traditional Owners in the Pilbara are ‘profoundly disappointed’ after a mining company lodged a Section 18 application to impact two sacred sites.

Equinox Resources announced plans in January to lodge a Section 18 application in relation to heritage sites near Karijini National Park to make way for the Hamersley Iron Ore Mine.

Traditional Owner body Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation said in a statement this week that Equinox had not consulted with them before submitting the Section 18 application.

“Equinox has still not responded to a cultural heritage report provided to them by the native title holders nearly a year ago asking that Equinox avoid two sacred sites in the mining lease area,” a Wintawari Guruma spokesperson said.

“Rather than engaging and talking with the native title holders to find a way to accommodate their drilling in a culturally sensitive way, they have decided to seek permission to destroy the sites.

“Wintawari believes that Equinox’s approach is entirely inconsistent with what is required under the government’s section 18 guidelines published in November 2023.”

According to a spokesperson for Wintawari Guruma, Equinox responded to requests for a meeting with native title holders in February by saying it is not available to meet until April.

In a statement to The Australian Stock Exchange last week, Equinox confirmed it had lodged a Section 18 application for drilling and gathering samples.

“Our commitment to collaboration and respectful engagement with the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation has been steadfast since the inception of the Hamersley Iron Ore Project,” Equinox CEO Zac Comer said in the statement.

“Despite our best efforts to find common ground - including numerous discussions and offers to co-develop the resource in a manner that respects both our shared interests and the importance of the land to the Guruma People - we have unfortunately not been able to reach a resolution.”

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti will make a decision on the application.

The controversial Section 18 process allows the Aboriginal Affairs Minister to approve damage to Aboriginal heritage sites. It came under widespread criticism following the destruction by Rio Tinto of the Juukan Gorge caves in 2020.

Section 18 approvals were abolished by the new Aboriginal Heritage Act which came into place last year, however, the laws were withdrawn by the state government after only five weeks, following a campaign by farmers and industry opposing them.

A revised version of the 1972 cultural heritage laws were reinstated, bringing back the section 18 process.

A Wintawari Guruma spokesperson said the group also opposed Equinox’s overall plans for The Hamersley Iron Ore Mine for environmental reasons.

“The project area is adjacent to the iconic Karijini National Park and a vital source of ground and surface water that nourishes the famous Hamersley Gorge,” they said.

More than 15,000 people have signed an online petition hosted by Wintawari Guruma asking Equinox to reconsider its development.