SYDNEY (AFP) – Western Australia said yesterday it is axing a five-week-old law to protect Indigenous sites, introduced after Rio Tinto blew up a 46,000-year-old sacred rock shelter.
The resource-rich state brought in the Aboriginal Heritage Act after the Anglo-Australian mining giant admitted in 2020 that it had destroyed the site to expand an iron ore mine in Juukan Gorge, Western Australia.
The ancient shelter was one of the earliest known locations inhabited by Australia’s Indigenous people, and it contained some of the oldest artefacts.
But Western Australia’s premier, Roger Cook, said the new law had proven to be too complex and divisive since it came into force on July 1.
“The Juukan Gorge tragedy was a global embarrassment, but our response was wrong,” Cook said.
“We took it too far, unintentionally causing stress, confusion and division in our community.”
Two months after being sworn into the post following his predecessor’s resignation, the centre-left Labour Party premier said it was “obvious” changes were needed.
