Rio Tinto’s Jean-Sebastien Jacques looks to meet with PKKP over Juukan Gorge destruction

Rio Tinto chief Jean-Sebastien Jacques is prepared to explore potential financial compensation to the PKKP as he revisits the Pilbara.

The Juukan Gorge in Western Australia. Picture: AFP

Rio Tinto chief Jean-Sebastien Jacques will look to meet face to face with traditional owners in the Pilbara after arriving in Western Australia for the first time since the company’s destruction of the ancient Juukan Gorge caves.

Mr Jacques, who last week lost almost $5m in bonuses over the incident, was spotted in Perth’s CBD on Friday after serving his two weeks of quarantine in a Perth hotel.

A spokesman for Rio Tinto said Mr Jacques would visit the Pilbara in coming days. He aims to meet representatives from the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, the traditional owners of the Juukan Gorge caves.

While Mr Jacques has made several apologies to the PKKP over the Juukan Gorge destruction, he has so far been unable to express that apology in person.

Any engagement with the PKKP will likely explore potential remedies, including possible financial compensation.

“JS travelled to Perth two weeks ago and after the mandatory period in quarantine he was able to spend time with Rio Tinto colleagues in the Perth office,” the Rio Tinto spokesman said.

“He is now headed to the Pilbara where he will have an opportunity to engage with traditional owners and connect with the Rio Tinto iron ore team.”

The Juukan Gorge episode has caused significant damage to Rio Tinto’s corporate reputation, with an ongoing parliamentary inquiry examining the incident.

The caves were destroyed in May, several years after Rio Tinto obtained legal approval from the WA government to do so. Archaeological excavations at the site in the years between its approval for destruction and the event recovered artefacts dating back 46,000 years.