Cairns woman 'stole $50k from trust'

A Queensland woman who helped manage compensation payments from a mining firm to Aboriginal groups stole $50,000 from the trust fund, police say.

It's alleged the woman used her position as co-chair of the Gulf Aboriginal Development Company to transfer the cash to personal accounts between May and October last year.

The company represents native title groups and manages compensation payments from the Pasminco Century zinc mine, northwest of Mount Isa.

Cairns detectives charged the unnamed 59-year-old with fraud on Friday.

She will appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on February 13.