Today marks one year since the tragic destruction of the 46,000 year old caves at Juukan Gorge.
These caves were of immense spiritual and cultural importance to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama People and the Pinikura People, as well as being of great archaeological significance and a part of Australia's shared heritage.
This destruction should never have occurred and must never happen again.
Rebuilding relationships
The destruction of the caves at Juukan Gorge and issues which arose subsequently cast a shadow across the minerals industry and had a deep and abiding effect on the industry's relationships with partner First Nations landholders and communities.
Based on the understanding that trust is earnt, particularly with its most important stakeholders, the industry has reflected long and hard over the last year on all aspects of its relationships with First Nations landholders and communities.
Industry has heard a clear message: that it must be better at listening, work harder to build and sustain relationships and ensure that First Nations are equal partners based on agreed common priorities.
In addition to company-specific actions, the industry is working together through the MCA to enhance capability, systems and engagement.
Industry has also publicly supported modernisation of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage protection laws.
Key actions to date include:
- Establishing a committee of senior industry executives reporting directly to the MCA Board to support industry to improve its capability, systems and engagement
- Preparing for regular and consistent assessment, reporting and verification of site-level performance against defined social, heritage, environment and First Nations partnerships indicators through the Towards Sustainable Mining system adopted earlier this year. Indicators relating to First Nations partnerships and heritage will be adapted for Australia in consultation with Indigenous organisations
- Commencing a review of industry's understanding and application of free, prior and informed consent within the broader framework of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Continuing to host a collaborative forum to share lessons to enhance processes and outcomes relating to land use agreement implementation
- Contributing to the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 review process, noting the importance of local autonomy to Traditional Owner organisations.
- Continuing to advocate for Traditional Owner organisations to receive more government funding and support. The Australian Government's recent allocation of an additional $36.7 million over four years to support Prescribed Body Corporate Capacity Building is an important step.
In the next 12 months the industry will also:
- Further increase senior industry engagement with First Nations leaders from national organisations and areas that host mining activities
- Review and act on relevant findings by the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia inquiry into matters relating to Juukan GorgeFinalise adaptation of TSM for Australia, and develop further guidance and education to assist companies to enhance partnerships where needed
- Build on company-specific processes and training to deliver industry cultural heritage protection education and materials
- Undertake a baseline assessment to understand the types of partnerships between mining companies and First Nations landholders and communities
- Support research and materials to understand leading practice partnerships approaches.
