Mining Company Must Pay Money to Traditional Land Owners

May 13, 2026, 11:06
AustraliaPolitics

Introduction

A court in Australia says the company Fortescue must pay 150.1 million dollars to the Yindjibarndi people. The company mined on their land without permission.

Main Body

The fight in court lasted almost twenty years. Fortescue started mining in 2013. The government said it was okay, but the Yindjibarndi people did not agree. The court gave 150 million dollars for cultural loss. The company destroyed 140 special places. The court gave only 100,000 dollars for money loss. The Yindjibarndi people wanted 1.8 billion dollars. They are not happy with the small amount of money for economic loss. The government does not have to pay any money.

Conclusion

The Yindjibarndi people and Fortescue will meet again on June 22. They might ask the court to change the money for economic loss.

Learning

⏳ TIME & CHANGE

Look at how the story moves from the past to the future:

The Past (What happened)

  • Started → began in the past.
  • Lasted → continued for a time.
  • Destroyed → broke something completely.

The Future (What will happen)

  • Will meet → a plan for later.
  • Might ask → maybe they will do this.

💰 MONEY WORDS

In this text, we see three ways to talk about money:

  1. Pay →\rightarrow to give money for a service or a mistake.
  2. Loss →\rightarrow when you lose money or something valuable.
  3. Amount →\rightarrow how much money (e.g., a small amount).

⚖️ AGREEING & DISAGREEING

  • Okay →\rightarrow Yes / I agree.
  • Did not agree →\rightarrow No / I disagree.

Vocabulary Learning

court (n.)
a place where judges decide cases
Example:The court heard the arguments from both sides.
company (n.)
a business that sells goods or services
Example:The company made a profit last year.
pay (v.)
to give money in return for something
Example:She will pay the bill at the restaurant.
land (n.)
the ground or territory where people live
Example:They own a piece of land in the countryside.
permission (n.)
the approval to do something
Example:You need permission to enter the building.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new policies.
economic (adj.)
relating to money and business
Example:The economic growth was steady this year.