EL7.AI
StocksMediumUpdated•Originally published 10 September 2026•Updated 10 September 2026•
2 min read

Rio Tinto Secures Nyangumarta Consent for Winu; Approvals and Investment Decision Still Pending

Key Facts

1The Nyangumarta People consented to the proposed Winu mine and associated infrastructure on their Country.
2The project remains subject to regulatory approvals and a final investment decision.
3Rio Tinto owns 70% and will develop and operate Winu, while Sumitomo Metal Mining owns 30%.
4Rio Tinto expects to complete the feasibility study in 2026 and is targeting first copper by 2030.

Rio Tinto and the Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation have signed a Project Agreement giving the Nyangumarta People consent for the proposed Winu copper-gold mine and associated infrastructure on their Country in Western Australia. The project remains subject to regulatory and other approvals, as well as a final investment decision.

The co-designed agreement builds on a planning accord signed in 2023. It sets out how Nyangumarta knowledge, priorities and perspectives will shape planning and implementation, including measures to avoid and minimise environmental and Aboriginal cultural-heritage impacts.

For investors, the development resolves a key Traditional Owner consent condition for the proposed mine site. It is not final construction approval, a revision to production guidance or evidence of an immediate price impact on RTNTF.

The announced consent covers the proposed mine and infrastructure on Nyangumarta Country. Rio Tinto says the planned mine facilities are located there, while the Karlkayn airstrip serving Winu is on Martu Country; the agreement therefore should not be presented as consent from every Traditional Owner group connected with the project's full footprint.

Winu is in the Great Sandy Desert, about 300 kilometres south of Broome and 320 kilometres east of Port Hedland. Rio Tinto describes it as its most advanced near-term greenfield copper project and part of its strategy to expand the copper portfolio.

Rio Tinto will develop and operate Winu and owns 70% of the joint venture, while Sumitomo Metal Mining owns 30%. The structure means the economic effects of future progress or delays will be shared between the partners according to their interests.

Rio Tinto expects the feasibility study to be completed around the end of 2026, while Western Australia's public environmental review remains open until October 22, 2026. Management is targeting first copper by 2030, but that objective remains conditional on completing assessments, securing approvals and taking a final investment decision.