Rio Tinto Ely Dulhunty

Rio Tinto’s operations in the Ely area of western Cape York Peninsula form part of one of the world’s largest and longest‑running bauxite mining landscapes. Mining at Ely has been underway since the 1960s and is integrated within the broader Weipa operations, which continue to play a major role in the regional economy and in the long‑term development of northern Queensland’s resources sector. Current activity in the region reflects both the legacy of decades of mining and a forward‑looking focus on sustaining production through new and expanded projects across the western Cape.

In 2025, ACHM undertook a substantial program of greenfields cultural heritage survey across the Ely project area. This work covered approximately 3,115 hectares and resulted in the recording of 315 archaeological sites, providing critical baseline data to inform responsible land management and future planning.

The scale and outcomes of this program reflect AHCM’s capacity to deliver large‑area, methodical heritage assessments in complex operational environments, while ensuring that cultural heritage values are identified, documented, and appropriately considered alongside ongoing and future development.

BHP Mining Area C (MAC) and South Flank Hub

ACHM provides specialist cultural heritage advisory services to the Banjima people across BHP’s South Flank and Mining Area C (MAC) projects, a combined mining operation that forms the world’s largest iron ore hub, producing and shipping  approximately 145 million tonnes of iron ore per annum.
 
ACHM assists with the implementation of complex heritage management measures—including Section 18 processes, salvage programs, technical assessments of pleistocene rockshelters, rock art recording, ethnographic assessments and long‑range planning frameworks required for regulatory approvals under the Aboriginal Heritage 1972 Act and Environmental Protection Act 1986.
 
We also assist in consolidating decades of multidisciplinary heritage records, verifying and assessing sites across extensive tenure, and advising on the integration of heritage considerations into the operational lifecycle of one of the most significant resource developments in Australia.

Beach Energy Enterprise Pipeline

ACHM partnered with Beach Energy to deliver the Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the Enterprise Pipeline Project, a 12‑kilometre pipeline connecting the Enterprise well site near Port Campbell to the Otway Gas Plant. The project occurred partly within areas of cultural heritage sensitivity, requiring a robust, compliant approach under Victorian legislation.

Working closely with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC), ACHM led all heritage investigations, Traditional Owner consultation, and cultural heritage governance for the project. EMAC was actively involved throughout, ensuring the process respected Eastern Maar cultural values and met all statutory requirements.

ACHM provided Beach Energy with a clear, compliant framework for construction, ensuring cultural heritage obligations were fully met while enabling efficient project delivery.

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Gelganyem Group

ACHM is partnering with the Gelganyem Group to deliver high‑level cultural heritage strategy, governance support, and technical advisory services as the Argyle Diamond Mine transitions through closure.
 
Our role includes comprehensive heritage auditing, data consolidation across decades of archaeological and ethnographic records, and the development of robust, forward‑looking management frameworks to ensure compliance, clarity, and continuity for Traditional Owner decision‑making. We are supporting Gelganyem in navigating complex site protection responsibilities, while streamlining reporting, structuring heritage datasets, and strengthening long‑term cultural heritage stewardship.
 
This partnership reflects ACHM’s commitment to delivering corporate‑grade heritage solutions that uphold community values, regulatory requirements, and best‑practice cultural governance.

Glencore Australia

ACHM have been engaged by Glencore across multiple mining regions to support responsible cultural heritage management from early project planning through to ongoing operations.

Our work includes Aboriginal cultural values assessments, archaeological and ethnographic surveys, and cultural heritage management advice for Glencore’s coal and bauxite portfolios — including major projects in the Hunter Valley and on Cape York.

We worked directly with Traditional Owners and their representative organisations to identify, assess and protect cultural heritage places, ensuring cultural values are embedded into mine planning, land use decisions, and operational protocols. ACHM provided comprehensive field surveys, GIS mapping, predictive modelling, risk identification, and cultural landscape assessments that inform both approvals processes and long-term management strategies.

Through this work, ACHM has supported Glencore in meeting its cultural heritage obligations, strengthening relationships with Traditional Owner groups, and delivering mining projects that are culturally informed, compliant, and respectful of Country.

FMG North Star Junction Solar Farm

ACHM were commisioned to undertake a large number of archaeological and ethnographic surveys for the Fortescue North Star Junction Solar Farm on behalf of the Kariyarra People.

 
The North Star Junction Solar Farm is a 100‑megawatt solar  facility developed by Fortescue, located approximately 145 kilometres south of Port Hedland. It forms a central component of the company’s renewable energy network.
 
The project incorporates nearly 200,000 solar panels to maximise daily energy yield, and it supports nearby operations such as the Iron Bridge magnetite mine by supplying clean, reliable power.

MRL Wodgina Lithium

ACHM has supported Mineral Resources Ltd (MRL) across multiple phases of the Wodgina Project, delivering both ethnographic and archaeological surveys that guide heritage management in one of Australia’s most significant lithium mining regions.
 
Our team worked closely with Kariyarra representatives to assess priority development areas, confirm the presence or absence of ethnographic values, document sensitive places such as grinding patches and thalu sites, and help clarify legacy site‑recording gaps across previously disturbed mining zones.
 
Through on‑country surveys, aerial inspections, detailed mapping, and continuous collaboration with MRL’s heritage team, we’ve helped ensure that cultural heritage considerations are integrated into mine planning, rehabilitation, and future expansion activities.

Glencore Aurukun

ACHM were engaged by Glencore Bauxite to manage the cultural heritage requirements of a proposed bauxite mine near Aurukun on the Cape York Peninsula, far north Queensland.

The project involved extensive community consultation, survey, excavation and assistance writing company heritage policies and procedures for the proposed project in some very remote areas.

Mangoola Continued Operations Project

ACHM was engaged by Glencore to complete the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR) for the 1,000‑hectare Mangoola Continued Operations Project in the Hunter Valley. This assessment formed a critical foundation for progressing the project with a clear understanding of the cultural landscape and deep respect for the Traditional Owners connected to the area.

As part of the ACHAR, ACHM collaborated closely with Traditional Owners to identify, record and interpret Aboriginal cultural values across the project area. Our team worked directly with Registered Aboriginal Parties and key stakeholders to ensure that consultation, cultural perspectives and community knowledge were embedded throughout the assessment.

This inclusive approach supported both regulatory compliance and best‑practice cultural heritage management, aligning with the broader heritage planning frameworks that guided the project.

Through this work, ACHM provided Glencore with a clear, culturally informed pathway forward—from early project planning through to practical recommendations for design considerations, impact mitigation and long‑term heritage management.

The outcome was a comprehensive and culturally grounded heritage assessment that enabled responsible project development while strengthening ongoing relationships with the Traditional Owners of this part of the Hunter Valley.

Rio Tinto Amrun

ACHM has a long and trusted history supporting Rio Tinto in the delivery of cultural heritage services for the Amrun (previoulsy South of Embley (SoE) Project near Weipa. 

ACHM’s work on the Amrun project involved on‑country collaboration with Traditional Owners, ensuring cultural values and site protection obligations remain central to Rio Tinto’s project planning.

Our field programs included ethnographic and archaeological surveys, excavations, logistical support for Traditional Owner participation, and other targeted assessments at numerous locations across Rio Tinto’s leases. 

These activities reflect our commitment to culturally informed, technically rigorous heritage management that supports both Rio Tinto’s operational needs and the long-term protection of the region’s cultural landscapes on behalf of Traditional Owners.