The Firetail mine is an

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

mine operated by the

Fortescue Metals Group Fortescue is a global metal mining company headquartered in Australia. Fortescue focused on iron ore mining under the name of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) until July 2023. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the ...

(FMG) and located in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, sparsely populated regions of Western Australia, region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people; wealth disparity; its ancient landscapes; the prevailing r ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, north of Tom Price. The mine is part of the company's Solomon Hub, one of three of its active mining areas, together with the Chichester Hub and the Western Hub. Iron ore Pilbara 2

Native title issues

The mine is located on the traditional land of the Yindjibarndi people, with the proposed mining at the Solomon hub leading to a long-standing dispute between the native title holders and the Fortescue Metals Group over compensation. The issue split the local community to a point where the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation rejected FMG's offers, which led to a rival group, the Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, being formed, which chose to work with the mining company. The dispute was eventually settled in 2020, after 17 years of legal battle, when the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...

ruled in favour of the

traditional owners Native title is the set of rights, recognised by Australian law, held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups or individuals to land that derive from their maintenance of their traditional laws and customs. These Aboriginal title rig ...

. In March 2011, FMG lodged an application with the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia for approval of the Solomon iron ore project, consisting of the Firetail and Kings Valley mine, and of new railway line to connect the mines with the existing

Fortescue railway The Fortescue railway, owned and operated by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia built to carry iron ore. It opened in 2008.Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia in late 2016, despite long-standing opposition by the traditional owners of the land, the Yindjibarndi people, as well as concerns over the effects on the nearby Hammersley Gorge, located in

Karijini National Park Karijini National Park is an List of national parks of Australia, Australian national park centred in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in the northwestern section of Western Australia. The park is located north of the Tropic of Capricor ...

. The expansion was rejected by the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) but approved of by the rival Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation. In 2017, the

Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indictable (mo ...

recognised that the Yindjibarndi had exclusive native title rights over some , and the court reaffirmed its decision in 2020 when FMG appealed to have the determination overturned. In 2022 the YAC asked the Federal Court to rule on compensation, after attempts to negotiate an

Indigenous land use agreement Native title is the set of rights, recognised by Australian law, held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups or individuals to land that derive from their maintenance of their traditional laws and customs. These Aboriginal title right ...

had stalled. YAC continues its battle in the courts for compensation. They are seeking unpaid royalties of more than , as well as damages that could amount to more hundreds of millions, for "loss of

sacred sites A sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, holy place or holy site is a location which is regarded to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a ...

and spiritual connection to the land". The claim was initially discussed at a meeting between FMC and YAC in March 2011. The Western Australian Government may also bear responsibility for allowing the mining to take place without the permission of the Yindjibarndi people. The lawyer acting for the YAC sees it as a landmark case, as it would be "the first case that sets down the benchmark for compensation to be paid under the '' Native Title Act'' by a miner".

Mining operations

The Firetail mine officially opened on 6 May 2013 in the presence of Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum,

Bill Marmion William Richard Marmion (born 22 May 1954) is an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia between 2008 and 2021, representing the seat of Nedlands. He served as a minister in the government of Col ...

. However, mining had commenced in late 2012 and first ore from the mine was railed to port in December 2012. The mine, as part of the company's new Solomon Hub, was scheduled to produce 20 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, while the nearby Kings Valley mine, under development at the time, was planned to produce double this amount for a projected total annual production for the hub of 60 million tonnes. By late 2016, the Firetail mine had ramped up production to 27 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, producing high grade ore essential for blending with lower grade from other FMG mines, but was scheduled at the time to be depleted by 2019. In May 2018, FMG approved the construction of the Eliwana mine, reportedly to replace the Firetail mine. Mining at the Solomon hub was temporarily suspended in late September 2021, after a fatality at one of the mines, when a male employee died in a ground collapse. Apart from the Solomon Hub, as of 2022, the company also mines the Chichester Hub, consisting of the Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mines, and the Western Hub, consisting of the Eliwana mine. A third operation within the Solomon hub, the

Queens Valley mine Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, was approved for construction in 2019 at a projected cost of A$417 million. The mine, located west of the Kings Valley mine, is scheduled to open in 2022.

References

External links

MINEDEX website: Solomon - Greater Solomon
Database of the

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 July 2017, out of the former Department of Mines & Petroleum and Department of Commerce. A ...

Solomon Iron Ore Project
Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia {{Iron ore mining in Western Australia, state=collapsed Iron ore mines in Western Australia Surface mines in Australia Shire of Ashburton Fortescue Metals Group 2013 establishments in Australia Aboriginal land rights in Australia