From Conflict to Co-Management: Rio Tinto Signs Agreement with PKKP

On June 2, 2025, Rio Tinto and the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) Aboriginal Corporation announced a landmark co-management agreement, marking a significant shift in mining practices on PKKP lands in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. This agreement grants the PKKP people decisive authority over future mining activities on their ancestral lands, including the right to veto projects, ensuring the protection of culturally significant sites. The accord follows the 2020 destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters by Rio Tinto, an event that led to global condemnation and a parliamentary inquiry. Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, acknowledged the company’s past failures and expressed a commitment to a renewed approach to cultural heritage management.