https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
blasting|Financial|Iron Ore|Projects|Storage|Operations
blasting|Financial|Iron Ore|Projects|Storage|Operations
blasting|financial|iron-ore|projects|storage|operations

Another Rio blast damages rock shelter

Image shows Rio Tinto logo

Photo by Bloomberg

22nd September 2023

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

Font size: - +

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified miner Rio Tinto on Friday said it was working with traditional owners in the Pilbara after blasting operations at its Nammuldi iron-ore mine impacted an ancient rock shelter.

“As part of our cultural heritage monitoring and management processes, last month we identified the fall of a Pilbara scrub tree and a one square metre rock from the overhang of a rock shelter in an area adjacent to the Nammuldi mine site,” Rio’s iron-ore CEO Simon Trott said in a statement.

“As soon as we identified this, we paused work which was occurring 150 metres away, and notified the Traditional Owners of the land, the Muntulgura Guruma people.  

“Initial assessments taken by drone haven’t found structural damage to the rock shelter or impacts to any cultural materials.  

“We are working closely with the Muntulgura Guruma people to better understand what has happened and will be guided by them on the appropriate next steps. We deeply respect the Muntulgura Guruma people and have apologised for this incident.”  

Blasting operations undertaken by Rio in 2020 at its Brockman 4 site, destroyed two ancient rock shelters at Juukan Gorge, which dated back more than 46 000 years and were considered culturally significant.

The fall-out from the destruction saw major changes to the company’s leadership, as well as an internal review and independent audit into the company’s cultural heritage management compliance and performance.


Since then, the company has been working to fix its relations with the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) Aboriginal Corporation, including signing a remedy agreement that will see the miner provide financial support to the Juukan Gorge Legacy Foundation to progress major cultural and social projects including a new keeping place for storage of important cultural materials.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Latest News

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George
DFFE calls for urgent action to end plastic pollution
Updated 6 hours ago By: Sabrina Jardim

Showroom

Invincible Valves
Invincible Valves

Established in 1982, Invincible Valves is a medium-sized enterprise in Germiston, serving global and local markets.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd
VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd

For over 60 years, VEGA has provided industry-leading products for the measurement of level, density, weight and pressure. As the inventor of the...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 08 August 2025
Magazine round up | 08 August 2025
8th August 2025

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







301

sq:0.17 0.259s - 186pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now