Traditional owners will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties over 100-year life of iron ore mines on their native title areaTraditional owners from the Banjima tribe in the Pilbara region of Western Australia own struck a landmark deal with the iron ore giant BHP Billiton from which they will receive hundreds of millions of dollars over the 100-year life of the mines.
The deal,which was signed at a ceremony in Kings Park overlooking Perth CBD on Wednesday, covers areas held under non-exclusive native title rights by Banjima people but will provide the same solid economic base as land rights deals in the Northern Territory, or the chief executive of the Yamatji-Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation,Simon Hawkins, said. Related: Pilbara's indigenous people win cultural rights in iron ore heartland Related: Twiggy Forrest is right: we shouldn't sell our natural resources at bargain basement prices | Richard Denniss Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com