Traditional Owners concerned protection for sacred sites being left behind

Traditional Owners across the Territory have come together in Darwin to meet with politicians and organisations who they say have given mining companies permission to do work that is ‘destroying their country’.

TRADITIONAL Owners across the Territory have united in Darwin to meet with politicians and organisations who they say have given mining companies permission to do work that is “destroying their country” and sacred sites.

The group of 15 men and women travelled to Darwin to discuss their concerns about the protection of sacred sites near mining and fracking operations with politicians, including Environment Minister Eva Lawler this week.

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Elliott region Traditional Owner Jane Gregory said the Origin Energy fracking project was “destroying our country” and water.

“Non-Indigenous people do not understand that when they destroy your land they destroy a part of you,” she said. Ms Gregory said Traditional Owners did not feel they were being listened to by the Northern Land Council. (NLC). “We’re between a rock and a hard place, we can’t move left or right, NLC was supposed to be our voice and is not listening to us, is not taking note or coming or consulting with us at all,” she said.

TO's Tom Hume, Janet Gregory and Johnny Wilson are part of a group of traditional owners in town to speak to politicians and have a conference about protecting sacred sites from fracking. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The Traditional Owners said they did not receive a response from the NLC to a request to meet.

Lightning Ridge Traditional Owner Johnny Wilson said the group discussed their concerns about the risk to many sacred sites of proposed expansions of projects with Ms Lawler on Monday.

One of the latest issues has been a proposed plan by Glencore to expand its waste rock dump site up to the level of a barramundi dreaming site at the McArthur River mine. Mr Wilson said although Ms Lawler said she wanted to protect sacred sites, her previous decisions suggested otherwise.

Ms Lawler said a “robust, clear and transparent set of rules and guidelines” was being developed.

“Providing the community with a legislative right to have their say on an Environment Management Plan (EMP) relating to drilling or fracking for onshore gas also helps restore trust and transparency. The NLC was contacted.

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