Western Australian iron ore explorer Atlas Iron Ltd has signed a new mining agreement with traditional land owners, the Ngarla people, for the development of Atlas's Pardoo iron ore project, in the state's Pilbara region.
Western Australian iron ore explorer Atlas Iron Ltd has signed a new mining agreement with traditional land owners, the Ngarla people, for the development of Atlas's Pardoo iron ore project, in the state's Pilbara region.
The project, located approximately 75 kilometres east of Port Hedland, provides the Ngarla people an opportunity to align themselves with contractors on the new mining operation and receive preferential consideration where pricing is competitive and quality requirements are assured.
Ngarla people will have the chance to enter the workforce and establish new businesses, increasing their economic independence and providing the community with more control and certainty about their future financial situation.
Charlie Coppin of the Ngarla people said that it was a very good opportunity for Ngarla people.
"We hope that this will help Ngarla build businesses and that more people will be able to get work on our country," Mr Coppin said.
The agreement also paves the way for Atlas to begin iron ore mining.
As part of a financial compensation package, the Ngarla people will be provided with shares in Atlas Iron Limited.
Also, Atlas Iron will fund Ngarla to conduct cultural awareness training for Atlas staff, contractors and other relevant people.
Atlas managing director David Flanagan welcomed the agreement at today's signing.
"Signing this agreement today marks the end of one phase in this process, but perhaps more importantly, it marks the beginning of the next - the development of the Pardoo Project.
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GROUND BREAKING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW MINING AGREEMENT
A new mining agreement has set a ground breaking standard for Aboriginal economic empowerment with the inclusion of a specific provision to encourage opportunities for Aboriginal enterprise.
The provision is part of a package incorporated in a mining agreement signed between a new player in the Pilbara iron ore mining boom, Atlas Iron Limited, and the traditional owners of the area to be developed, the Ngarla people.
The agreement gives Ngarla people an unprecedented commercial opportunity in which they will be able to align themselves with mining contractors tendering for business connected with the new mining operation and receive preferential consideration where pricing is competitive and quality requirements are assured.
"This is a very good opportunity for Ngarla people," said Charlie Coppin of the Ngarla people.
This provision will provide many Ngarla people with the chance to enter the workforce and to establish new businesses, thereby, increasing their economic independence and providing the community with more control and certainty about their future financial situation.
Mr Coppin confirmed that this gives traditional owners the chance to build a better future for the community because it will have many more economic opportunities.
"We hope that this will help Ngarla build businesses," Mr Coppin said. "And that more people will be able to get work on our country."
The agreement paves the way for the company to begin iron ore mining.
"We welcome this deal with Atlas," said Mr Coppin. "Our relationship with Atlas has been good from the start and we are happy with the way the company has negotiated with us about mining on our country."
Mr Coppin said that his people felt like they were partners with Atlas because their relationship was good and everyone respected each other.
The deal concerns the Pardoo Project, a new mine located approximately 75 kilometres east of Port Hedland. The project area lies within the Ord Range Greenstone Belt.
Besides a modest financial compensation package, the deal provides Ngarla people with shares in Atlas Iron Limited - further cementing the relationship between the traditional owners and the company.
"Having shares in the company means that our ties with Atlas will stay strong and will last much longer than hand shakes and signing paper," said Mr Coppin of the Ngarla people.
Mr Coppin said that it was good that this relationship would be made solid through the ongoing interest that Ngarla people will take in the progress of the company.
Cross-cultural awareness was also recognised as an important factor for both parties. As part of the agreement, Atlas Iron will fund Ngarla to conduct cultural awareness training for Atlas staff, contractors and other relevant people.
"This relationship will grow as we all get to know each other better," said Mr Coppin of the Ngarla people. "Cultural awareness training will help people from Atlas understand us as traditional owners and traditional people."
David Flanagan, Managing Director of Atlas Iron Limited, welcomed the agreement at today's signing.
"Signing this agreement today marks the end of one phase in this process, but perhaps more importantly, it marks the beginning of the next - the development of the Pardoo Project. I look forward to working with the Ngarla people in the future, in what will almost certainly be very exciting times."
Notes to editors:
- Pictures of the agreement will be available from Linda Back (see below for details) on June 12 and 14.
- YMBBMAC is a native title representative body which represents the traditional owners of the Yamatji (Murchison and Gascoyne) and Pilbara regions of Western Australia. In the Yamatji region it operates as the Yamatji Land and Sea Council and in the Pilbara as the Pilbara Native Title Service.
- YMBBMAC has a representative area of almost one million square kilometres - around 21 times the size of Switzerland.
- The organisation represents 30 native title claims across the Yamatji and Pilbara regions.
