Australia Sacred Sites Seen Remaining Under Threat After Mine Law Reform
- Legislation review in W. Australia to be completed this year
- Shift in political will needed to quarantine sites: law expert
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Looming legislative changes aimed at boosting protection for Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia are unlikely to prevent their destruction or stymie expansion by mining companies that are under intense pressure over their preservation practices.
Rio Tinto Group’s decision last month to carry out explosions that saw the destruction of a 40,000-year-old site in the centre of the nation’s iron ore industry has sparked widespread controversy, scrutiny from investors and calls for legal reform.