Australian copper miner Sandfire says damaged Aboriginal cultural heritage

Sandfire Resources America

30/11/2023 05:34

MELBOURNE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Australian copper miner
Sandfire  SFR.AX  said on Thursday it had damaged Aboriginal
cultural heritage at a copper mine in Western Australia, and has
informed traditional owners and the state's heritage regulator. 
    Damage to an artefact scatter at Sandfire's Monty copper
mine, 900 kilometres (559 miles) north east of Perth, occurred
in 2017 and 2018 due to a series of process failures during the
construction of a satellite mine, Sandfire said in a statement
to the Australian stock exchange.  
    "Sandfire prides itself on being a values based organisation
and we are extremely sorry to have disturbed artefact scatter
within the Monty mining lease during construction and mining
activities," Chief Executive Brendan Harris said.      
    "Our local communities are of critical importance to us and
we will work hard to rebuild our relationship with the
Traditional Owners."
    Sandfire's statement comes as investors and automakers are
increasingly scrutinising human rights and heritage protection
in their assessments of Australian mines, even as Western
Australia overturned Aboriginal cultural heritage protection
laws earlier this year due to opposition from landowners.

 (Reporting by Melanie Burton; editing by Miral Fahmy)
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