Aboriginal group seeks 1 1 billion from Western Australia in iron ore claim

MELBOURNE – An Aboriginal group is seeking A$1.8 billion (S$1.5 billion) from Western Australia in compensation after the state government allowed Fortescue to mine for iron ore without a land use deal, court filings showed on Feb 19.

The Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (Ynac) says activity at the Solomon mining hub has damaged its land and people. Its claim includes A$1 billion for cultural damage and A$678 million for economic loss, filings to the Federal Court of Australia showed.

The case is set to be a landmark not only for the amount of compensation claimed but also because any precedent could open the door to other claims for past damage.

The Ynac is suing the state because it authorised the mining. The state is then expected to try and recoup losses by suing Fortescue, the world’s fourth biggest miner of iron ore.

“Fortescue accepts that the Yindjibarndi People are entitled to compensation, however, the parties disagree on the amount of that compensation,” Fortescue said in a statement to Reuters.

In its final submission to the court, the state government said the total compensation for economic loss should be A$128,114 plus interest of A$92,957.

And the award for cultural loss should be in the range of A$5 million to A$10 million, the state argued, saying that would “appropriately reflect what the Australian community would accept as fair, reasonable or just”.

The Western Australian government department overseeing Aboriginal heritage said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the courts. Ynac declined to make additional comments.

The court is hearing arguments this week with a decision not expected until late 2025.

Western Australia accounts for around half of the world’s sea-borne supply of the steel-making ingredient.

In 2020, the destruction of the culturally and historically important Juukan Gorge rock shelters