A thread.
A preliminary dig was conducted in 2008, and the same archeologist went back to do a salvage dig — instigated by Rio — in 2014. That dig discovered it was a very significant site, occupied through the last ice age.
They told the department the PKKP had concerns and asked if there was any way to revoke s.18 consent.
One of the sites destroyed was the 46,000-year-old rock shelter.
Ben Wyatt told journalists he wasn’t aware of the risk to the Juukan site, or its destruction, until Monday.
Overnight, the story went global.
theguardian.com/australia-news…
theguardian.com/australia-news…
theguardian.com/business/2020/…
on RN. The interview went.... badly, for Salisbury.
He said Rio "thought we had a shared understanding with the PKKP about the future of the sites".
theguardian.com/business/2020/…
ft.com/content/a70841…
theguardian.com/australia-news…
Lorena Allam and I broke that news on 11 June.
theguardian.com/business/2020/…
“We will not disturb the sites identified without further extensive consultation with the Banjima people."
theguardian.com/australia-news…
theguardian.com/australia-news…
I was going to do a separate thread bringing together the #DeathsInside stories Lorena, @NickEvershed and I have been writing too but I might do that a bit later, as it will be even longer.
Thanks for reading.