16 February 2022

The Northern Territory government has refused mining giant Glencore's request to allow it to destroy an ancient stone tools quarry and threaten an important sacred site without the permission of traditional owners of its McArthur River mine.

[...]

Glencore had told the government it had an agreement from six Aboriginal custodians to pile waste rock at the mine to a height of 140 metres beside the adjacent Barramundi Dreaming sacred site, and to build part of the dump on the stone artefact site.

Under the agreement, the six signatories were promised $250,000 for their houses, an $85,000 car each and monthly food and fuel vouchers.

[...]

The company had appealed a decision by the NT's sacred sites watchdog, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA), which ruled the agreement invalid because all of the mine's 180 Aboriginal custodians had not signed it.

[...]

Glencore has said it does not intend to damage the Barramundi Dreaming and other sacred sites and it views "the protection of sacred and cultural heritage sites as of critical importance".

[...]

Glencore has said it does not intend to damage the Barramundi Dreaming and other sacred sites and it views "the protection of sacred and cultural heritage sites as of critical importance".

[...]