Traditional Owners sign Rail Agreement with Hancock Prospecting

Hancock Prospecting's Tad Watroba with Kariyarra elders Lena Alone and Elsie Williams.  

The Kariyarra native title group today announced a native title agreement with Hancock Prospecting. The agreement covers the company’s proposed heavy haulage railway corridor to carry iron ore from its Roy Hill Project to Port Hedland.

The agreement provides a range of financial and non-financial benefits to the Kariyarra people, aimed at protecting the Kariyarra people’s cultural heritage and promoting their economic development. The Kariyarra people will continue to have a say in protecting their heritage sites throughout the planning and development of the project. Hancock has committed to working with the Kariyarra people to try to avoid damaging any cultural heritage sites.

“As Kariyarra People we do everything we can to protect and look after our country,” said Donny Wilson, a Kariyarra elder. “We’re glad to have entered into an agreement with Hancock to try to make sure that their railway doesn’t go through any of our important places.”