Rio Tinto faces class action over Bougainville mine impact

Lawyers representing more than 3,000 residents of Bougainville filed the class-action lawsuit against Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper seeking compensation. (Image: WSJ)

The Wall Street Journal

Fri, 24 May 2024

By Rhiannon Hoyle A class action against Rio Tinto has been filed in a Papua New Guinea court in relation to a long-shuttered copper mine that it offloaded in 2016 and was at the centre of a decadelong civil war.Mining at the Panguna copper pit on the South Pacific island of Bougainville ended in 1989 when militants forced the operation to shut down. Nearly three decades later, Rio Tinto handed over its almost 54% holding in operator Bougainville Copper to be distributed between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville.Lawyers representing more t...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Already a Subscriber ? Sign in here.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}