Govt compensation offer an ‘insult’ to traditional owners

The WA State government has offered between $5-$10m to Indigenous native title holders who are seeking a landmark $1.8billion after mining giant Fortescue was allowed to mine iron ore without a land use deal.

The Yindjibarndi people hold exclusive rights to the Pilbara region where the Solomon mine exists and their claim includes $1billion for cultural damage and $678million for economic loss.

It is estimated the mining has damaged as many as 285 significant archeological sites.

National Native Title Council chief executive Jamie Lowe told media the compensation offered was “outrageously low”.

Fortescue has extracted moire than $500 billion of ore from the site, with the WA government receiving hundreds millions in royalties.

The Yindjibarndi people won exclusive native title rights over land in 2017 and Fortescue lost a High Court bid in 2020 to overturn that order.

Lawyer Justin Edwards, representing the Yindjibarndi, told the court the destruction of land was being felt as a deep loss within the community, adding customs and cultural activities were lost.

Fortescue said it accepted the Yindjibarndi People were entitled to compensation, but disagreed on the amount.