Fortescue ordered to pay Yindjibarndi traditional owners $150m in record native title payout

Mining company Fortescue has been ordered to pay $150m in compensation to traditional owners over cultural losses caused by the multibillion-dollar Solomon Hub iron ore mine – the largest compensation payout in native title history. The mine, which has extracted millions of tonnes of iron ore and generated an estimated $80bn in revenue for Fortescue since operations began in 2013, was approved by the Western Australian government without the consent of the Yindjibarndi traditional owners. The Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (YNAC) launched the compensation claim in 2022 and sought $1.8bn, including $1bn for cultural damage, $678m for economic loss, $34.85m for the destruction of sites, and $112.13m for social disharmony allegedly caused by Fortescue. The company sought to cap the compensation at $8m, while the WA government argued that between $5m and 10m would be appropriate. Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation members and supporters arriving at the federal court in Perth on Tuesday. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP On Tuesday, federal court justice Stephen Burley ruled in favour of YNAC and calculated the value of the cultural loss to traditional owners at $150m, with their economic losses at just $100,000. Dozens of community members made the journey from the Pilbara down to Perth to witness the decision. The courtroom was packed with elders, community members, children and babies, with more than a thousand people also watching the federal court livestream. …