Vista Gold fined $160,000 for damaging sacred site in illegal drilling near Katherine

Australia Broadcast Center

14-05-2025

A Canadian gold-mining company has been fined $160,000 for carrying out illegal exploration drilling at an Aboriginal sacred site near the Northern Territory town of Katherine.
Vista Gold Australia Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the NT's sacred sites laws in the Darwin Local Court last month, after the company's own press release tipped authorities off to the illegal works.
Vista Gold operates the Mount Todd Gold Project on Jawoyn country outside of Katherine, 300 kilometres south-east of Darwin, which is estimated to hold about 10 million ounces of gold.
The court heard that in 2022, Vista Gold announced to its shareholders that it had successfully explored deposits at its Mount Todd operations, providing maps and coordinates for 26 drilling holes.
The following year the NT's Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) discovered 12 of those holes, from which core samples were taken, were within the boundaries of a sacred site near Yinbarrie Hills.
AAPA inspections of the site in 2024 found grass and vegetation had been cleared, drill pads levelled and excavated material deposited.
In fining Vista Gold on Wednesday, Acting Judge Steven Ledek said the company's breach had "everything to do with the price of gold".
"This is nothing more than a mercenary exercise, where they had been looking and looking for what they believed was there, but unfortunately found it to be under a restricted works area," he said.
Despite describing the works as "invasive and ground-disturbing", Acting Judge Ledek said the $160,000 fine was "insignificant" compared to the company's projected profit from the site.
He said the Mount Todd site was a "flagship asset" for Vista Gold, from which he calculated the company could earn more than $500 million.
"All present market indicators suggest the only way is up," Acting Judge Ledek said.
He said while the Jawoyn Association had "some" understanding of the unlawful works, the organisation did not raise any objections or submit any evidence to the case against Vista Gold.
"The Jawoyn were not called in these proceedings, they have not prepared a victim impact statement, and I have no information … as to loss or harm that has been suffered by the Jawoyn Association," he said.
"In fact what I have is an uncontroverted dissertation of all of the things Vista Gold has done for the people of the Jawoyn and Banjarn Associations."
In a statement, AAPA chair Bobby Nunggumajbarr said he welcomed the court's decision.
"Vista Gold's Mount Todd mine site is located on Aboriginal freehold land which is managed by the Barnjarn Aboriginal Corporation and the Jawoyn Association," he said.
'While Vista Gold may have met with members of these groups, [AAPA] ensures custodians are consulted properly and widely about the impacts of proposed work."
Mr Nunggumajbarr said Vista Gold had "accepted they did the wrong thing."
"We look forward to working with Vista Gold to keep the sacred sites near the Mount Todd gold mine safe," he said.