Inquiry hears calls to protect cultural site at Century

Regional elders raised concerns about the fate of a culturally significant rock shelter on the Century mining lease during a Mount Isa hearing of the Juukan Gorge inquiry this month. The Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia also heard that the elders felt ignored and shut out by ORIC (the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations) and the Waanyi Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC), which has agreements with miner New Century Resources. Waanyi descendant and Alyawarr man Glen Willetts said the site's Gulf Communities Agreement signed almost 30 years ago noted that Magazine Hill would be preserved and protected from mining operations, regardless of change of owners. "When we did the cultural awareness studies back then, we had numerous archaeologists that came in over the years to help us as Indigenous people to excavate, to document and to put a time on how old that cave was," he said. "All the archaeologist findings were that that place was of significant value to all Aboriginal people." Not only was it determined to be in the best interest of the local Waanyi people to preserve Magazine Hill, but the place was a storyline that connected into the Central Desert, he said. "It's a really neutral place for all Indigenous people's ceremony. That's how strong it is," he said. "We can go on and on about politics with PBC or ORIC. We must protect Magazine Hill at all costs." He said the community had initially understood that the latest Century owners, New Century Resources, would be going through tailings and rehabilitating the site. "It then came about that they started discussing with their shareholders or whoever it was that there was an ore body left on Magazine Hill that they wanted to mine," Mr Willetts said. Mr Willetts, assocaited with the Waanyi Advancement company, said New Century was talking to the Waanyi PBC - not the native title groups that were parties to the Gulf Communities Agreement. Waanyi man Kevin Cairns commented: "Whatever information the PBC receives, we don't get to hear it. We don’t get to hear the discussion that the PBC has with the mining company." In a written submission to the inquiry, New Century Resources said it had negotiated with the statutory representative of the determined native title holders for the country around Magazine Hill, Waanyi PBC, between September 2017 and May 2018 to seek consent to proceed to mine in the vicinity of the Magazine Hill Aboriginal site. The company said it was unlikely that every member of a native title holding community would endorse a particular heritage outcome. "The fact that there were dissenters does not undermine the process adopted or the quality of the consent provided." The company said geotechnical investigations after it had acquired Century Mine determined a the rock mass of Magazine Hill was at risk of damage from historical mining activities. "Having identified the structural stability issues concerning Magazine Hill, NCR determined that the best option to address the instability was to excavate and remove the hill and buttress the pit wall," the company stated. "NCR determined to seek views of Waanyi People and, if consent was provided, have that consent recorded in a cultural heritage management plan (CHMP), in accordance with the ACH Act." In exchange for the consent of the Waanyi People to the potential impacts of mining on Magazine Hill, in recognition of their loss, the company said it had agreed to make significant payments to the Waanyi People It also awarded the mining works contract for the mining of the South Blockresource to the Waanyi ReGen Joint Venture, a joint venture between Downer and theWaanyi PBC. Artefacts have been salvaged from Magazine Hill and have been temporarily stored in a location on the Century Mine site. New Century Resources is investigating the potential mining of the South Block resource immediately adjacent to Magazine Hill. "Not interfering with Magazine Hill is NCR’s preference, and this option is being thoroughly investigated, " it stated in its submission. https://www.i-q.net.au/main/juukan-gorge-inquiry-focus-on-queensland

Inquiry hears calls to protect cultural site at Century

Industry Queensland

Related News

New Bottletree results confirm continuity of mineralisation

29Metals committed to Capricorn Copper future

Quick fire – industry news briefs

Get access to breaking mining news, now.