Australia firm regrets clearing hearing site

Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group has apologised to an Aboriginal group for clearing land on a heritage site while failing to meet a government condition for representatives of the community to be present when the damage took place.

It is the week’s second such incident, despite pressure on Australian iron ore miners to show they have improved practices to manage important sites after Rio Tinto destroyed two rock shelters for a mine expansion last May.

Fortescue had state government permission to clear the land in the Weelamurra Creek area registered as sacred to the Wintawari Guruma people, on condition that community elders were present to perform salvage and cultural rites, four documents showed.

But an administrative error led to land clearing works earlier than scheduled on February 1 in the absence of the representatives, Fortescue chief rxecutive Elizabeth Gaines said in a statement.

“I have spoken to Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC) chairman Glen Camille regarding this incident to personally express my regret and sincere apology on behalf of Fortescue,” she said.

“We have carried out a full investigation into the matter which has shown that this unfortunately occurred as a result of an administrative error...We have paused all clearing works at this site as we work with WGAC on the matter.”

Gaines did not provide detail on the nature of the administrative error.

In a statement, the community corporation said, “WGAC members are disappointed by FMG’s actions, particularly after investing so much time negotiating an outcome with them that included elders being present during the destruction.