Global Interest in Juukan Rehabilitation Project

Global interest in Juukan Rehabilitation Project highlighted during France delegation

12 March 2026

A delegation representing PKKP Aboriginal Corporation has reflected on the extraordinary international interest generated by the Juukan rehabilitation project during a visit to France last year.
The delegation travelled to inspect the world-renowned replica caves at Chauvet and Lascaux as part of early planning and concept development for the proposed reconstruction of the Juukan-2 rock shelter.

The delegation at Chauvet and Lascaux France

PKKP Traditional Owners, Burchell Hayes and Gavin Ashburton attracted considerable attention from French media during the visit, as they shared the story of Juukan and the community’s vision for remembrance, remediation and renewal. They were inspired by Burchell and Gavin who expressed the PKKP communities’ huge sense of loss, but due to this they want to look to the future and restore the cultural connection to their history that a special place like Juukan offers the generations to come. The destruction has not only changed the way that the PKKP community engages with Rio Tinto, but other mining companies, stakeholders and partners and even beyond PKKP to the state and federal Government.

Traditional Owners Burchell Hayes (2nd from left) and Gavin Ashburton (4th from left) touring the replica caves with PKKP staff and local French media

Denis Coutant and Burchell Hayes (Traditional Owner) being interviewed by local French media

The delegation said the experience reinforced that Juukan is not only a project of local and national significance, but one that resonates globally, symbolising resilience, leadership and the power of community-driven action.
According to Denis Coutant, Director Land and Heritage, who participated in the visit, the level of engagement from French experts and institutions was significant.
“The interest that Juukan generated in France was extraordinary,” he said.

Denis Coutant, Director Land and Heritage PKKP Aboriginal Corporation – Photo courtesy of ABC

The visit provided our team, alongside representatives from CDM and Rio Tinto, with the opportunity to engage directly with leading engineers, designers and subject matter experts responsible for the creation of the French replica caves. The discussions explored technical considerations, design approaches and lessons learned in delivering complex heritage reconstruction projects.

You can see more here in the ABC story produced after the visit.

Beyond the engineering insights, the delegation said the visit underscored the universal message carried by the Juukan rehabilitation project.
One Lascaux staff member described the initiative as “a message of hope,” noting that it demonstrated how even small communities can initiate meaningful change.

Watch this video on ABC to gain a deeper understanding of the project and what it means to Burchell Hayes and our community