Fortescue joins appeal against $150m Yindjibarndi payout
Fortescue is now the third party challenging a Federal Court award of $150.3 million to Yindjibarndi traditional owners.
In May, the Federal Court ordered Fortescue to pay $150.3 million to Yindjibarndi traditional owners. The company built iron ore mines on their land without asking.
The Yindjibarndi people and the WA government had already filed appeals. Fortescue then lodged its own challenge.
Fortescue says it paid the full award within 24 hours. The company wanted to protect its legal position.
It also wanted clarity on parts of the judgment. Justice Stephen Burley found Fortescue destroyed at least 124 spiritually significant sites.
The company also permanently changed the landscape through water extraction. The Yindjibarndi community hopes a successful appeal might push compensation closer to the $1.8 billion they initially claimed.
- $150.3 million
- Federal Court award
- At least 124
- Spiritually significant sites destroyed
- 135 square kilometres
- Solomon Hub size
- $80 billion
- Revenue since 2013
Why it mattersThis is Australia's largest ever native title payout. The case may set a precedent for how courts handle similar mining disputes.
AustraliaThe outcome will set a precedent for how much Australian mining companies must compensate Indigenous communities for cultural and land damage.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
