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prepayment just to get a foot in the door.”
However, Ottaviano knows that despite
its plus-$3 billion market cap, Liontown will
only win over the market when it delivers an
operating mine.
“We have got to execute flawlessly and
there is no rest as we award all contracts
and get all long-lead items in place and start
breaking the back of construction,” he said.
“From there, we move into a different world
of execution, discipline and excellence. The
mantra is ‘make the plan, work the plan’.”
With the likes of Oreology, Snowdens
and Entec involved in studies and Lyco-
podium on board for the construction, the
company is confident the project has inbuilt
robustness.
Kathleen Valley’s exceptionalism is also
making the development process manage-
able.
It has even absorbed a major mining de-
sign change. The 2020 PFS was based on
a conventional open pit operation but as
negotiations with Traditional Owners, the
Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation, identified
heritage issues around Jones Creek inside
the mine boundary, Liontown decided to re-
vise its mining strategy.
“The PFS was largely based on an open
pit scenario but through conversations
with the Traditional Owners on the impact A new way
to Jones Creek we were led to looking at
underground options,” Ottaviano said. “We
then realised there were real benefits pre- on Native Title
viously unrecognised and would deliver a
better outcome.
“Although it may have ended up with
that layout anyway, the Traditional Own-
ers played a major role in the design, par- n the same day as industry and Tra- “It is very poor, sub-standard and doesn’t
ticularly given the heritage impact on Jones Oditional Owners’ senses were height- meet any of the recommendations coming
Creek.” ened by the West Australian Government’s out of the Federal Juukan Gorge inquiry
Chief operating officer Adam Smits said tabling of its new Aboriginal Cultural Herit- and it actually impinges fundamental hu-
the redesigned underground mine – which age Bill Act, ASX-listed junior Liontown man rights,” Muir told Paydirt after the
will be accessed via three portals – deliv- Resources Ltd and the Twijarl Aboriginal signing ceremony. “The problem with the
ered engineering as well as heritage ad- Corporation signed an innovative Native Act is the Minister is reserving his rights to
vantages. Title agreement which could serve as a destroy sacred sites and not allowing a re-
“Even though it is shallow – 400m at role model for future negotiations. view of his decisions; that is unacceptable
its deepest – there is lots of underground The revised Act was introduced to par- in this day and age. It is basically corralling
workings, allowing us to be selective which liament in the wake of the Juukan Gorge Traditional Owners into an outcome. We
is crucial when it comes to grade and impu- caves controversy which saw Rio Tinto Ltd don’t want a veto over development, we
rities,” Smits said. destroy areas of cultural and archaeologi- want capacity to say no to the destruction
cal significance in the Pilbara but despite of sacred sites.”
being passed through parliament in De- Muir said the agreement with Liontown
cember, Aboriginal land councils are split was a prime of example of a progressive
with some leaders criticising it. An open partnership.
letter signed by 150 Aboriginal cultural “This agreement is at the cutting edge
leaders and renowned Australians argued of what is happening in international eco-
the inclusion of ministerial intervention nomic finance,” he said. “We are delivering
powers meant it contravened United Na- impact through our sustainability frame-
tions treaty law. work which reflects the UN sustainability
National Native Tile Council chair and goals, bringing into effect free, prior and
Tjiwarl member Kado Muir participated in informed consent through our contract ne-
the Native Title agreement signing with gotiations.
Liontown but was highly critical of the WA “The difference is the capacity to en-
Government’s new Act. gage in a conversation. Other agreements
Liontown is attracting strong interest for
its SC6 product

Page 18 FeBRUaRY 2022 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT