Gold mine agreement could boost jobs for community
The Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation and South African miner Gold Fields have signed a native title agreement for the Agnew gold mine in WA.
The Agnew gold mine, 13,000 square kilometres near Leinster, has been operating since the mid-1980s.
The agreement will see a cultural heritage asset management plan developed with traditional owners, which the company has said will establish protocols to protect “cultural heritage, environmental integrity and human values”.
Employment opportunities
There are also plans to provide a range of contracting and employment opportunities that will benefit the local community.
Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation chair Brett Lewis told the ABC the wealth generated by the agreement would help Tjiwarl be self-sustainable, with employment and education opportunities.
“We had a walk away, a spell there for a little while, but we’ve come back to the table, and in the last year we’ve nailed it and signed off,” he said, signalling that the deal marks the end of six years of negotiations.
Gold Fields executive Kelly Carter said it was the start a new chapter with the Tjiwarl people.
