Traditional owners ‘hurt’ by miner’s actions

Traditional owners have accused mining giant Rio Tinto over what they have called “decades of hurt” caused by mines on land they have native title rights over.

The Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation has accused Rio Tinto of not giving its investors the full story about the environmental and social impacts of its mines.

The company owns two iron-ore mines in the Pilbara region, about 1,400km north of Perth.

Rio Tinto has been in dispute with those traditional owners over how much groundwater it had been extracting from the area.

At the company’s AGM in Perth recently Deanna McGowan accused the company of not giving her people a fair share of revenue and for not rehabilitating areas damaged by mining in the 1980s.

“We do not forget. We cannot forget,” Ms McGowan told the board during a public question time.

“Until you remedy your past, it stains our future together too.”

“We acknowledge the impact mining is having on water and we are committed to rectifying and improving that,” chairman Dominic Barton said.

Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Anthony Galante told the ABC the details of the disputes were not being fully reported to investors.

“These are just examples where Rio Tinto tells you what they want you to hear,” Mr Galante told the ABC.

“And doesn’t provide all the data that is required to have a full and proper understanding of the impacts of its operations.”

Rio Tinto said it welcomed the scrutiny of its stakeholders, communities and civil society organisations.