Rio Tinto Updates West Angelas Iron Ore Co-Management Agreement in Australia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 8, Rio Tinto signed an interim modernization agreement with the Ngarlawangga Aboriginal Corporation, updating the participation agreement between the two parties that has been in place since 2011. The new agreement applies to mining activities within the Ngarlawangga traditional territory and establishes a joint co-management mechanism, requiring both parties to participate earlier and more continuously in project decision-making throughout the entire mine life cycle, while setting mutually agreed procedures for cultural heritage and land management.

The agreement covers Rio Tinto's West Angelas iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The West Angelas mining area is located approximately 110 kilometers west of Newman, within the traditional territories of the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples, and is currently one of the important production centers in Rio Tinto's Pilbara iron ore system.

The agreement also adds long-term financial support for the Ngarlawangga community and incorporates cultural heritage management and land use consultation into the project implementation process. Rio Tinto stated that the interim agreement will serve as the basis for a full modernization agreement in the next phase, and both parties will continue to advance the finalization of a formal agreement.

West Angelas is currently implementing a life extension expansion. The Robe River joint venture approved the US$733 million West Angelas Sustaining Project in October 2025, with Rio Tinto contributing US$389 million of the investment. The project will develop new iron ore deposits, maintain the mining area's total production capacity of 35 million tonnes per year, and extend production activities to around 2038.

The life extension project has obtained all necessary approvals from the Australian federal and Western Australian state governments. Construction includes a new non-production infrastructure area and approximately 22 kilometers of mine haul roads. New ore will be transported by autonomous haul trucks to the existing West Angelas processing system, with first ore planned for 2027; the construction period is expected to create approximately 600 jobs, and approximately 950 full-time positions will be maintained after operations commence.

Rio Tinto had previously worked with the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga to jointly develop the Social and Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the West Angelas life extension project. This interim modernization agreement further extends the scope of consultation between the parties to the entire mine life cycle and clarifies that the Ngarlawangga side will participate in decisions related to cultural heritage and land management through agreed procedures.