"They were seen as one of Australia's most significant archaeological research sites, but they also had more than eight million tonnes of high-grade iron ore, with an estimated value of £75m (A$132m; $96m)."
Rio Tinto's official page on this is also worth a read.
https://www.riotinto.com/en/news/inquiry-into-juukan-gorge
Fascinating where they choose to use passive vs active voice.
- "Our relationship with the PKKP people extends over more than 17 years"
- "We are engaging with the PKKP people"
- "In partnership with the PKKP people, we are focusing on understanding"
- "We can re-establish a sense of place"
Contrast with:
- "The decision to destroy the rock shelters was taken nearly eight years ago"
- "the site was reclassified as ‘cleared’ for mining"
- "knowledge and awareness of the location and significance of the site was progressively lost"
- "the Juukan 2 rock shelter is likely to be irreparably damaged"