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Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Agreement

Date: 3 June 2011
Sub Category:Commercial Agreement
Place:Pilbara
State/Country:Western Australia, Australia
Subject Matter:Compensation | Cultural Heritage | Economic Development | Employment and Training | Environmental Heritage |
Summary Information:
The Rio Tinto Iron Ore Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Agreement was entered into between the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Native Title Claim Group and Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

The agreement is one of four entered into by Rio Tinto Iron Ore with native title claimants in the Pilbara. Other agreements include those with the Ngarlawannga Native Title Claim Group, the Nyiyaparli Native Title Claim Group and the Kuruma and Marthudunera Native Title Claim Group.
Detailed Information:
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people filed an application for a determination of native title in October 2001 (Federal Court WAD6007/01). That application was registered on the Native Title Register and is currently in mediation.

The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura agreement covers some 36,684 square kilometres of land in the east Pilbara region and includes the mining town of Newman. The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura community has approximately 300 members.

The agreement provides for continuing mining operations at Brickman 4, Mesa A, Mesa J, Hope Downs as well as any mines that Rio Tinto Iron Ore might establish in the future.

For their part, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Native Title Claim Group has negotiated a range of economic and non-economic benefits, including an income stream from mining on their lands, training and job opportunities, access to contracts for services for Rio Tinto and support for environmental and heritage activities (Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation).

The agreements also include mine exclusion zones for the protection of significant sites, as well as water holes and ecologically sensitive areas.

A local Aboriginal corporation has been established to manage the agreement, and a broader regional corporation has also been established to advance the interests of the traditional owners in the Pilbara.

Related Entries

  • Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) Kuruma and Marthudunera Agreement
  • Organisation
  • Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) - Signatory
  • Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation

  • Glossary

    Commercial Agreement | National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) (Australia) | Native Title Applicants | Native Title Applications/Claims (Australia) | Aboriginal Corporation (Australia) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Australia) | Native Title (Australia) | Representative Body

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