A combination image shows the Nammuldi rock shelter before (L) and after a mine blast by Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, August 6, 2023.
"Assessments found no structural damage to the rock shelter itself, and no damage to cultural materials," Cecile Thaxter, a Rio Tinto vice president, said in a webcast on Monday.
A Rio Tinto spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The dispute comes as investors and automakers are increasingly scrutinising human rights and heritage protection in their assessments of Australian mines.
However, Western Australia is set to overturn its 2021 Aboriginal cultural heritage protection laws, introduced on July 1, due to opposition from landowners.
Persons:
Cecile Thaxter, Muntulgura, Dawn Hughes, Rio, Hughes, Melanie Burton, Sonali Paul
Organizations:
Rio Tinto, REUTERS, Rights, Aboriginal Corporation, Reuters, Tinto, Thomson
Locations:
Rio, Pilbara, Western Australia, Rio Tinto