Rio Tinto signs interim agreement with Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation
Rio Tinto signs agreement with Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation
Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation have signed an Interim Modernised Agreement, establishing a pathway to a fuller agreement that will govern how the miner operates on Yinhawangka Country in the long term. The agreement introduces a co-management approach allowing Yinhawangka to be involved earlier in mine planning. It will establishment a joint committee where both parties work together to make decisions regarding the protection and management of cultural heritage and Country as well as new projects and major operational changes. The interim agreement builds on the 2013 Participation Agreement between the Yinhawangka People and Rio Tinto. Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation board chairwoman Robyn Hayden (née Tommy) comments on the agreement. "Mining on our Country always comes with hard decisions, and we have always been clear that Yinhawangka People must be at the centre of those decisions,” she said. “This agreement with Rio Tinto reflects both parties’ commitment to working in partnership, strengthening respectful communication, and ensuring Yinhawangka voices are heard. “It creates opportunities for both our current and future generations, supporting a stronger and more sustainable future for both our People and our Country.” Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Matthew Holcz says the agreement will allow the company to keep learning from Yinhawangka knowledge and perspectives as it works towards a fully modernised agreement, based on respect, transparency and shared responsibility. “We thank the Yinhawangka People for their continued leadership and guidance, as we work together to strengthen our partnership,” he said. Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto will continue working together to finalise the agreement in 2026.
