Focus on training and jobs

Native title agreements reached in Western Australia during the past year have a major focus on providing employment and business opportunities for Aboriginal people.

Aztec Resources’ recent co-existence agreement with the Dambima Ngardi people was described as setting a new benchmark for the Kimberley.

The most notable feature was the commitment to training and employment opportunities, with a goal of having 30 per cent of the 220-person workforce filled by Indigenous people after eight years.

The agreement also delivers direct financial payments to the claimants, and includes the employment of cultural and heritage officers, the protection of significant sites and involvement in environmental and land management issues.

“Aztec has had the courage to set a new precedent in the Kimberley,” Kimberley Land Council executive director Wayne Bergmann said.

“Aztec has conducted negotiations with the highest level of respect, even though they were not responsible for the original mining on Koolan Island.”

Aztec chairman Ian Burston is proud of the agreement, which he says involves a commitment from the entire company and contractors working on Koolan Island.

He also noted the tangible benefits for the company.

“In a tight labour market, it’s important for industry and government to work together to improve the skills of local people, rather than simply looking offshore to fill positions,” Mr Burston said.

The deal signed last month by Midwest Corporation and the Wajarri Yamatji group has been described as one of the country’s most compre-hensive land access agreements.

Midwest has agreed to special conditions to ensure that exploration is undertaken in close consultation with the traditional owners.

This includes exclusion zones for culturally sensitive areas of the Weld Ranges, such as the ancient ochre mine Wilgie Mia.

This process will be overseen by a monitoring committee and a liaison officer, funded by the company.

The agreement allows traditional owners to maintain access to the area.

The financial package includes an issue of Midwest shares to the Wajarri Yamatji group, which contrasts with the usual approach of paying a production royalty.

“Including shares in the agreement is meaningful as it ensures that traditional owners are part of the project,” Yamatji Corporation executive director Simon Hawkins said.

Murchison Metals negotiated an in-principle agreement with two claimant groups in the space of three months, which is unusually brief.

In contrast, Tanami Gold spent several years negotiating its agreement with the Tjurabalan People, whose land straddles the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Tanami chairman Denis Waddell acknowledged the negotiating process was difficult but, with its Coyote gold mine being officially opened this week, he is pleased they persisted.

“We took a view that, rather than fight it, we went about trying to negotiate a fair and equitable outcome,” Mr Waddell said.

Mr Bergmann said the Tanami agreement was one of the best in Australia and praised “the strong corporate and personal commitment of Tanami Gold and its senior management”.

The agreement will provide training and employment opportunities for local Aboriginal people, and assistance in establishing and operating businesses to service mining and exploration activities.

Tanami’s mine contractor, CDE Capital, has a 50 per cent Aboriginal workforce.