By Melanie BurtonMELBOURNE (Reuters) - Damage caused to an Aboriginal rock shelter by mining giant Rio Tinto in August underscores the need for better heritage protection laws and a greater say for Indigenous groups promised in this month's Voice referendum, advocates say.
Rio's destruction of rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in 2020 prompted a global outcry, the departure of top executives and a parliamentary enquiry that recommended an overhaul of Australia's Aboriginal heritage protection laws.
"Regrettably, it seems as though Rio's blast management plan has failed on this occasion leaving the Muntulgura Guruma People to pick up the pieces," said Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC), which represents the Muntulgura, in a statement.
A spokesperson for the state department regulating Aboriginal heritage protection said it was in contact with Rio Tinto but it was not investigating the latest incident.
Should the Department receive a complaint from Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation, it will act immediately to investigate."
Persons:
Melanie Burton MELBOURNE, Rio, Simon Trott, Warren Entsch, Rio shouldn't, Morgan Stanley, James Fitzgerald, Jamie Lowe, WGAC, Melanie Burton, Lincoln
Organizations:
Rio Tinto, Aboriginal Corporation, ABC, Reuters, Aboriginal, Torres Straits, Australasian Centre, Corporate, Indigenous, Title, Guruma Aboriginal Corporation
Locations:
Rio, Western Australia’s, Juukan, Western Australia