BHP knew of Aboriginal heritage concerns at $4.6b WA mine
Mining giant BHP was aware of traditional owners’ concerns about works impacting sacred sites at one of its West Australian iron ore mines before it obtained approval to destroy them.
BHP executives on Thursday said the company received legal permission for the works at its $4.6 billion South Flank mine earlier this year, but had since halted plans that would disturb heritage sites in the area amid intense public backlash against Rio Tinto’s blasting of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in May.
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. Rio Tinto’s decision to destroy the ancient rock shelters without traditional owners’ consent last week resulted in the resignation of chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two of his deputies, and has put the entire industry on notice.
Over recent months, BHP has told traditional owners it would not act on its existing approvals – known as Section 18 approvals – under the WA Aboriginal Heritage Act to impact sites until it had re-engaged with traditional owner representatives.
“We recognise that what has been lost at Juukan Gorge is not only a site of unique and living cultural heritage but also a loss of trust,” BHP Australian mining operations president Edgar Basto told the hearing on Thursday.
“This is a tragic event … but we all need to learn from it.”
Under WA’s controversial Section 18 approvals process, traditional owners do not have the right to appeal against decisions made by the minister.
Libby Ferrari, BHP’s head of Indigenous engagement, 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.
“They were able to, and did, share their views quite clearly with us and with the regulator and we were supportive of that happening,” she said.
“Would we have done things slightly differently in hindsight? Possibly.”
But Ms Ferrari told the hearing there had been no impact to any of those sites since BHP halted works. “And there won’t be until we have agreement from the Banjima,” she said.
BHP had 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, she said.
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