Revealed: The questions Tanya Plibersek has finally answered on the Blayney gold mine decision

Tanya Plibersek has finally revealed the reasons behind her controversial decision to stall a gold mine in regional NSW. Read what she has to say.

A prominent Aboriginal cultural advisor has blasted Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek over her decision to overrule the local land council because knowledge about indigenous heritage is passed down to “specific” Aboriginal people only.

Wiradjuri traditional owner and former chair of NSW Aboriginal Land Council Roy Ah-See said Ms Plibersek’s reasons for stalling a gold mine in regional NSW were “disgusting” and “absolutely incorrect”.

In her highly anticipated Statement of Reasons finally explaining why she went against the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council for the project proposed for Blayney -- Ms Plibersek said OLALC was not entirely aware of the cultural significance of the area to Wiradjuri people.

Instead Ms Plibersek said she gave weight to other Wiradjuri elders who claimed the site and the neighbouring river was sacred to their culture.

The mine, to be developed by Regis Resources, has been at the centre of a political storm for the Albanese government with Ms Plibersek facing accusations of undermining the economic development of Aboriginal people.

The new document snubs OLALC who are the official representatives of the Wiradjuri people under the land council system.

“I understand that the OLALC disputes this claim as they have no evidence or knowledge of the use of the specified area for ceremonial purposes,“ she wrote in the statement.

“I am satisfied that this lack of knowledge is consistent with Aboriginal tradition that not all people are aware of the location of such ceremonies, particularly where those ceremonies pertain to men’s or women’s business.”

Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek at the Nature Matters launch

Ms Plibersek said she relied on the evidence of Uncle Bill Allen who described the area as a “big university for our young fellas to come to to get their learning”.

“Regarding the OLALC’s submissions disputing the existence of the Dreaming... Dreaming is knowledge that is only passed to specific custodians in accordance with Aboriginal oral tradition,” she said.

Mr Ah-See, who is an advisor for OLALC, said the council employed Aboriginal cultural and heritage officers.

“She’s absolutely incorrect when she says the OLALC doesn’t know what the Dreaming stories are in terms of culture and heritage,” he said.

“We have an elder of the community who can tell you the story about the three mountains in the area. He’s from the land council.

“I’m speechless, that’s disgusting for her to come out and say that.”

The statement also casts doubts over the minister’s earlier claims that Regis would still be able to go ahead with the mine as they had looked at other options outside of the area she had barred with a protection order.

“While I considered that it may be possible for the proponent to undertake further work to assess the feasibility of the other alternative options, I accepted that to do so would have time and resource implications,” she said acknowledging concerns from Regis that finding an alternative site would take several years.

In a rebuke of the NSW government, Ms Plibersek said the state government’s laws were not good enough for protecting indigenous heritage.

“I formed the view that NSW legislation does not provide effective protection of the declared area,” she wrote.

NSW premier Chris Minns in August said he would try to find another way for the mine to go ahead, including by fast-tracking proposals through the planning process.

Coalition environment spokesman Jonno Duniam said Ms Plibersek’s decision to go against the land council was “ truly staggering”.

“Minister Plibersek basing the rejection of the McPhillamys gold mine on a songline that the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council says doesn’t exist is truly staggering,“ he said.

“Minister Plibersek has essentially said that the New South Wales Government was wrong in approving the mine and that its laws aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

“She has rubbished the claim by the Premier that the state’s assessment of the mine was “rigorous”, casting into doubt her state Labor counterparts’ ability to make the right decisions.”