McArthur River Mine Expansion Compensation Case

completed

The Federal Court ordered the Northern Territory Government to pay over $54.7 million to the Gudanji, Yanyuwa and Yanyuwa-Marra Traditional Owners as compensation for economic, cultural and spiritual losses due to the expansion of the McArthur River Mine. The case involved compensable acts including mineral leases, conversion from underground to open-cut mining, and associated infrastructure such as a port, road, and gas pipeline. The decision applied the compensation framework established by the High Court in Timber Creek, recognizing both economic and non-economic losses, particularly cultural and spiritual harm caused by the mine's impact on Dreaming sites and the diversion of the McArthur River.