SYDNEY, May 12 (Reuters) – An Australian court on Tuesday ordered miner Fortescue to pay A$150 million ($108 million) in compensation to an Indigenous group for cultural loss caused by iron ore mining on their land without their permission.
The decision marks one of the largest ever payouts in Australia’s history brought under native title laws recognising Indigenous rights and interests in certain parcels of land.
Federal Court Judge Stephen Burley found the miner, founded by billionaire Andrew Forrest, caused “significant damage” to the cultural heritage of the Yindjibarndi people of Western Australia.
The Solomon Hub Project, Fortescue’s flagship iron ore mining operation located in the state of Western Australia, had “completely destroyed” 124 heritage sites identified by the company, and many more had been substantially affected, Burley said.
($1 = 1.3854 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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