An Australian court on Wednesday convicted Swiss multinational Glencore for conducting unauthorized work for 13 years on an Aboriginal sacred site in northern Australia. The company, which owns McArthur River Mine, was fined $31,500 after pleading guilty to carrying out work without the required certification, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Glencore reportedly failed to obtain certification from the Northern Territory’s Aboriginal Area Protection Authority (AAPA) when installing handrails at Barney Creek in 2017. The site, part of the sacred Barramundi Dreaming area known as Damangani, had been a registered sacred site for 20 years. Additionally, AAPA’s lawyer, Jon Bortoli, revealed that the mine conducted unauthorized water monitoring between 2009 and 2022.
Following the court ruling, McArthur River Mine issued a statement apologizing for the violation. “McArthur River Mine apologizes and regrets the concern this has caused to Indigenous traditional owners and custodians,” the company said.
