In the Northern Territory Local Court on Wednesday, the owners of the McArthur River Mine were found guilty, convicted and fined $31,500 for working on the Damangani sacred site.
The Court found Swiss multinational Glencore, who own the McArthur River Mine, was in breach of section 34 of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989 (NT) (“the Act”). Under the Act, work must not be carried out on a sacred site unless it is in accordance with an Authority Certificate issued by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.
The Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority noted after the case was resolved that the Authority Certificate process is “a well-established, independent and trusted process” to guide work or use of land where there are sacred sites.
Chairman of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, Mr Bobby Nunggumajbarr said he welcomed MRM’s guilty plea.
“In the NT, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority has been successfully advising development near sacred sites for more than 40 years,” he said.
“The independent process ensures custodians are consulted but also gives developers confidence to proceed.
“McArthur River Mine has been working in the Territory a long time and it is very disappointing that we have found ourselves in court. I am glad they have acknowledged the hurt they have caused, and that they have accepted they did the wrong thing.”