Rio Tinto hires former Aboriginal Affairs minister after sacred cave destruction
After destroying sacred Aboriginal caves in Australia and having to ditch a CEO and other execs, Rio Tinto has added a former Australian politician who was minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
Ben Wyatt is set to join the board of the miner as a non-executive director on 1 September, while under no illusion regarding the miner’s past controversy.
“I was deeply saddened and disappointed by the events at Juukan Gorge but I am convinced that Rio Tinto is committed to changing its approach to cultural heritage issues and restoring its reputation,” Wyatt said.
With extensive public policy, regulatory and trade experience, the incoming board member will hopefully ease relations between the mining giant and local Aboriginal communities following the disaster.
The former treasurer and Aboriginal Affairs minister in the Western Australian government, before entering the state parliament in 2006, Wyatt has also been a barrister and solicitor.
Jukkan Gorge, a cave system near Pilbara in Australia that showed signs of continuous human occupation for over 46,000 years, was blown up by Rio Tinto knowingly last May.
The rock shelters were above about 8m tonnes of high-grade iron ore, with an estimated value of £75m.
A parliamentary inquiry at the time found the iron ore giant to have gone against the wishes of traditional landowners despite knowing of the archaeological value.
The report said: “Rio knew the value of what they were destroying but blew it up anyway.”
Rio Tinto’s chairman Simon Thompson said: “With family links to the Pilbara and an impressive track record in public life, Ben’s knowledge of public policy, finance, international trade and Indigenous affairs will significantly add to the depth of knowledge on the board at a time when we are seeking to strengthen relationships with key stakeholders in Australia and around the world.”
The miner’s share price lifted slightly this afternoon by 0.68 per cent to a share price of 6,214.