Rio Tinto Iron Ore has recently commenced a process of the repatriation of heritage survey data, collected over the past several decades, back to the various traditional owner groups. This initiative commenced jointly in 2016 involving BHP, FMG and Rio Tinto, as well as the Nyiyaparli, Yinhawangka and Eastern Gurama Native Title Groups. The overall project was overseen by the National Trust and involved a series of workshops to gather requirements for a system (The Keeping Place) to house the vast stores of cultural and heritage data being repatriated by the resource partners. Talis was involved in the stakeholder workshops and provided spatial expertise during the requirements definition phases.
The conclusion of the project then saw the beginning of the data repatriation within Rio Tinto. Talis was engaged to review thousands of historical heritage survey reports and rebuild Rio Tinto’s spatial heritage geodatabase to ensure consistency of capture and reliability of data outputs. The output of the project was a centrally located and reliable dataset of heritage Sites and Survey Areas and has since been undertaken and completed for the Yinhawangka, Nyiyaparli, Banjima, Ngarlawangga, Eastern Gurama and Puutu Kunti Kurrama Pinikura traditional owner groups.