EPA approves first Rio Tinto development in the Pilbara since Juukan Gorge blasts

Sean SmithThe West Australian
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Camera IconRio Tinto is looking to expand its highly profitable iron ore operations in the Pilbara. Credit: Rio Tinto/Rio Tinto

The Environmental Protection Authority has approved Rio Tinto’s first mining development in the Pilbara since the destruction of the Juukan Gorge ancient caves two years ago, subject to environmental and heritage conditions that include monitoring nearly 90 affected Aboriginal cultural sites.

Rio’s Greater Paraburdoo iron ore hub will involve the expansion of the company’s iron ore operations in the Hamersley Ranges, south of Paraburdoo.

Rio has been repairing its relationships with indigenous landowners since blowing up the Juukan Gorges caves in May 2020 to access more iron ore for its Brockman 4 mine.

While the Paraburdoo expansion would impact 87 Aboriginal heritage sites, nine sites of significance identified by the Yinhawangka people would not be directly affected, with the exception of surplus water discharges to Six Mile, Seven Mile and Pirraburdu Creeks, the EPA said.

The EPA assessment also reveals that Rio amended its development proposal after the Yinhawangka people raised “significant concerns” during consultations in August 2020 and September 2021 in the wake of the Juukan Gorge blasts.

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The resulting social, cultural and heritage management plan for the new development had “revised the conceptual footprint ... to reduce potential impacts to Aboriginal heritage values within the development envelope”.

The concerns raised by the Yinhawangka people had included a lack of social surroundings surveys, disrupted access to key sites including a red ochre quarry at Garrabagarrangu and the size of the buffer around the latter.

“It has been identified that approximately 87 sites will be impacted (directly or indirectly) by the proposal,” the EPA said, citing Rio, in its assessment published on Friday.

“Further sites may be identified following additional surveys and ongoing engagement with the Yinhawangka people.

“The proponent has detailed that the Yinhawangka people have their own cultural determination of what constitutes impact on a site or cultural value and undertook their own impact assessment process for these to identify management outcomes to mitigate the impacts.”

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