Yindjibarndi Wins $150 Million in Mining Compensation Award
The Federal Court on Tuesday awarded Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation $150 million in compensation for cultural loss and $100,000 for economic loss after Fortescue Metals Group built mining projects on its land without agreement. The ruling gives the Yindjibarndi group a major award, but it falls far short of the $1.8 billion it asked the court to order.
Michael Woodley Outside Court
Michael Woodley, the Yindjibarndi Nation chief executive, said the group was disappointed with the size of the payout. He added: “We're obviously disappointed with the economic loss,” and “The culture and spiritual loss is something that we can work with.”
Woodley also said: “It's a win for First Nations people on that front.” He said: “It goes to the long journey that we've been on, and I think the part of the journey was the total disregard from this particular mining company and the state government of not really valuing First Nations people.”
Fortescue and Solomon Hub
Fortescue started mining at the Solomon Hub in the Pilbara in 2013. The relationship between the company and the Yindjibarndi had already soured years earlier over the alleged destruction of sacred sites during mine construction, and traditional owners refused Fortescue's royalty offer.
Fortescue later made a deal with the breakaway Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation after paying people $500 each to attend a meeting in 2010. The Yindjibarndi had submitted that Fortescue should pay $1.8 billion, making Tuesday's award sharply lower than what it sought.
Yindjibarndi Next Move
The Yindjibarndi group said it would review the 350-page judgment before making its next move. Fortescue said it accepted that the Yindjibarndi people were entitled to compensation, and a spokeswoman said, “Fortescue has strong relationships with the First Nations people of the Pilbara.”
In a company statement, Fortescue said, “Andrew Forrest and Fortescue care deeply about all First Nations people, including the Yindjibarndi community,” as the company moved to respond to a ruling that leaves the size of the award, not the entitlement to compensation, at the center of the dispute.
