DISGRUNTLED native title holders have set up a protest camp near Sandfire Resources’ Doolgunna copper discovery to force the explorer back to the negotiating table.
DISGRUNTLED native title holders have set up a protest camp near Sandfire Resources’ Doolgunna copper discovery to force the explorer back to the negotiating table.
The protest camp is occupying one of Sandfire’s proposed exploration drilling sites, where the company hopes to find a repeat of its Doolgunna discovery, 120 kilometres north of Meekatharra.
Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation holds and manages native title over 50,000 square kilometres in the Mid West and Pilbara for the Nharnuwangga, Wajarri and Ngarlawangga traditional owners.
That includes land on the western side of the Great Northern Highway near Doolgunna. The main DeGrussa and Conductor deposits at Doolgunna lie on leases east of the highway and are not affected by the dispute.
Sandfire also holds valid exploration licences on the western side of the highway, in which native title has been extinguished, that it plans to test for repeats of its Doolgunna finds.
Native title holder and Jidi Jidi director Georgina Riley alleges that Sandfire last October had offered an agreement before starting exploration on its leases west of the highway. That offer included provisions to undertake heritage and environmental surveys, as well as provide some financial benefits for her community.
But she said Sandfire had since withdrawn the offer and was now planning to start work without reaching agreement with traditional owners.
A small group of traditional owners, including her wheelchair-bound mother, had been occupying the proposed drill site for more than a week to force Sandfire to resume negotiations.
“Sandfire needs to come back to the table, finish the deal and then we can do the heritage surveys they want so that they can see where they can and can’t drill on our land,” Ms Riley said.
“We are staying put, out on country, until the company comes back to the table again.”
Sandfire managing director Karl Simich could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman said none of the proposed drill targets was affected by native title, and that Sandfire would exercise its rights under the Mining Act to undertake work on its leases.
However, Sandfire had always been prepared to have discussions regarding heritage surveys, he said.
The spokesman said the original offer had lapsed due to the lack of any timely response from Jidi Jidi or its representatives.
“That offer no longer stands, however Sandfire is prepared to take part in productive commercial and harmonious talks with respect to the heritage issues,” he said.
“Sandfire intends to exercise its rights under the Mining Act and reserves its rights in every respect on this matter.”
