Maitland Parker

Rio Tinto has bowed to shareholder pressure over the destruction of Juukan Gorge, announcing this morning that chief executive J-S Jacques and two other senior executives would lose their jobs.

Rio Tinto has changed the name of its new iron ore mine to Gudai-Darri after a request from Banjima elders, one small step in the miner’s efforts to rebuild trust with traditional owners.

Former Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh has joined one of WA’s largest Aboriginal corporations as an independent director.

Rio Tinto has highlighted its technical achievements but today’s official opening of its Gudai-Darri mine was just as much a celebration of Banjima culture.

Late Banjima elder Maitland Parker’s last fight was to see his Ngurra cleared of the toxic legacy Lang Hancock, CSR and others left behind.

Wittenoom’s asbestos tailings would cost $200 million to clean up, according to a buried state government report which also details a preferred remediation method

Family of late Banjima elder Maitland Parker have taken his fight to clean up the asbestos-laden gorges of Wittenoom to the United Nations.