Mining firm desecrated Australia Aboriginal site

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Admin
Administrator

Posts: 377

Mining firm desecrated Australia Aboriginal site Aug 2, 2013 9:39:17 GMT

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Post by Admin on Aug 2, 2013 9:39:17 GMT

A mining company has been convicted of desecrating an Aboriginal site in Australia's Northern Territory.

Mining firm OM Manganese was found guilty on Friday - the first time a company has been successfully prosecuted in Australia for desecration of a sacred site.

The site is known as Two Women Sitting Down and is at Bootu Creek, north of Tennant Creek.

OM Manganese was fined A$150,000 ($134,000; £88,000).

Peter Toth, CEO of OM Holdings, which owns OM Manganese, said: "The company never intended to harm, damage or disrespect the sacred site."

"We sincerely regret the damage and the hurt caused and I unreservedly apologise to the site's custodians and traditional owners," he said.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23527303

cenydd
Reporter

Posts: 525
Politics: Liberal

Mining firm desecrated Australia Aboriginal site Aug 6, 2013 9:53:59 GMT

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Post by cenydd on Aug 6, 2013 9:53:59 GMT

It seems like this company were guilty of a staggering lack of concern for the environment around their activities, even knowing its importance and protected status. 'never intended to harm' is a very long way from 'careful not to do harm', and 'disrespect' is something demonstrated by negligence and inaction as much as by action. It sounds to me like they've got off very lightly with that fine, although I don't know the size of the company and how much of a hit it is to them relatively.

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