Shannon Price is General Manager of our Gove operations in the Northern Territory, Australia

Shannon Price

Shannon Price is General Manager of our Gove operations in the Northern Territory, Australia. She leads our bauxite mining operations and the Gove closure program, including closure planning, rehabilitation and social transition. Shannon is committed to sustainable transition, community collaboration and delivering long-term benefits beyond bauxite mining.

Last updated: 15 October 2025

 

The Gove Peninsula in northern Australia is transitioning toward a post-mining future.

After more than 40 years of mining operations at Gove, we’re working through our final chapter with a deep sense of responsibility. Closure is a natural and necessary part of the mining life cycle. It’s a complex phase that brings challenges – but it also brings opportunities.

A key part of closure is land rehabilitation, which has been a part of Gove’s story since the 1970s. Over the life of the mine, we’ve rehabilitated 4,360 hectares of land and we’re continuing to return the area as close as possible to how it was before mining started. We’ve also partnered with Traditional Owners for seed collection and we’re prioritising species that work for the area and the local fauna.

As we continue rehabilitation, we’re now turning our focus to how we can partner with local businesses and communities to create opportunities for the future.

Rio Tinto Gove seedling solar panels

When the Gove leases end, the land will vest as freehold Aboriginal land in the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Land Trust under The Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and be managed through the Northern Land Council. Accordingly, Traditional Owners will be leading decisions about its future beyond mining.

Our partners in the Gove Peninsula Futures Reference Group – established in 2019 with members from Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation, Gumatj Corporation Ltd, Northern Land Council, Developing East Arnhem Ltd, the Northern Territory Government, and the Commonwealth Government of Australia – are now guiding decisions about the region’s future.

Their vision outlines 8 priority areas, including a diverse economy and rejuvenated infrastructure. Part of this is positioning Nhulunbuy – a mining township founded at Gove in the late 1960s – as a regional services hub grounded in mutual respect and cultural connection, with education opportunities and services to support the local population and broader East Arnhem region.

We continue to support their work, but respect we are not the leaders of these decisions. We have obligations, and we’re committed to delivering on them, such as landform rehabilitation, with innovations like topsoil-free trials and new restoration techniques helping us achieve them.

Partnerships with Traditional Owners have consistently guided us throughout our journey in Gove, and closure is no different. We’re working closely with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Peoples to move forward in a way that reflects our shared values. 15 years ago, the world wasn’t thinking in this way, but we’re learning from the past to improve how we rehabilitate closed mines now and in the future.

Rio Tinto Gove mine operations

Partnerships with Traditional Owners have consistently guided us throughout our journey in Gove, and closure is no different. We’re working closely with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Peoples to move forward in a way that reflects our shared values. 15 years ago, the world wasn’t thinking in this way, but we’re learning from the past to improve how we rehabilitate closed mines now and in the future.

Gove has played a key role in our story. It taught us the importance of true partnership with Traditional Owners, and has helped show us what it means to listen, learn and walk together.

And when I think about Gove’s legacy, I don’t just think about the operations, infrastructure, or its impact on the community that has established and grown around the region. I think about the people, their families, and friends who have passed through Gove.

I have worked with so many people across various Rio Tinto operations in Australia and across the globe who have a connection to Gove. And it’s not just their careers. People have experienced all of life’s milestones here. Children have been born and families have grown here. Friendships have been forged, and lifelong bonds created.

I can’t wait to return to Gove in 20 years and see how the legacy continues, how the community grows, and how the story of Gove lives on.

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