Newsletter date: 13 September 2012
Contents:
* Broome Community No Gas Hub Campaign: Activists shut down Woodside rigs at James Price Point
* Greens Christine Milne: James Price Point Senate Question
* Greens Rachel Siewert: WA Govt must ensure social, cultural impact of JPP development is examined
* Background to the Walmadan Tent Embassy, James Price Point, north of Broome, Kimberley Region, WA
* Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation: FMG 'Declassified' Then Destroyed Yindjibarndi Heritage Sites
* Background to the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation
* Congress: Aboriginal People & Extractive Industries Wrap
* ABC PM: Indigenous groups debate pros and cons of mining
* NIT: Ambitious land claim plan proposed to halt Muckaty nuclear waste dump
* Background to the proposed Muckaty nuclear waste dump
* Other Articles
* BROOME COMMUNITY NO GAS HUB CAMPAIGN: ACTIVISTS SHUT DOWN WOODSIDE RIGS AT JAMES PRICE POINT
- Statement
Green Left: Activists shut down Woodside rigs at James Price Point
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/52204
10 Sep 12: "The Broome Community No Gas Hub Campaign released the statement below on September 10. * * *
Two community members, Evan Dowlings and Frances Myles, have scaled two Woodside drill rigs at the site of the proposed gas hub at James Price Point, stopping work. The protest occurred in response to Saturday’s revelations that Woodside have actively sought to silence information around the heritage values of the site, and government’s repeated failure to enforce the Aboriginal Heritage Act
Simultaneously, members of the Broome community and Goolarabooloo converged on the Woodside office, calling for a stop to the illegal work. Community members demanded an end to the illegal works, and presented copies of the Weekend Australian’s article which outlined Woodside’s requests for the government to suppress Aboriginal heritage information. ... "
- Related Analysis / Opinion
National Indigenous Times: Saving Walmandan and saving the whales - more important than gas and money
http://www.nit.com.au/opinion/1775-saving-walmandan-and-saving-the-whale...
6 Sep 12: "by Gerry Georgatos, National Indigenous Times West Australian reporter. Woodside Board directors and executive managers and Woodside's former venture partner of Chevron in the $40 billion Browse Basin LNG development proposal on Walmandan country were angry at the compulsory acquisition threats by West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, a source within Woodside... "
- Related News
The West: Labor MP fires gas hub broadside
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/14829099/labor-mp-fires-gas-hub-...
12 Sep 12: "Retiring Labor MP Tom Stephens yesterday accused the Barnett Government of "corrupting the processes of government" during a spirited speech in Parliament on the $40 billion James Price Point gas hub near Broome. The State Opposition moved to censure the Government for its "mishandling" of the contentious development, condemning conflicts of interest in environmental decision-making and a disregard for "indigenous cultural and heritage sensitivities"."
Australian: WA police arrest gas hub protesters
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/wa-police-move-on-gas...
11 Sep 12: "TWO protesters have been arrested after attaching themselves to drill rigs at the site of Woodside's planned gas hub in Western Australia's Kimberley. Broome community members Evan Dowlings and Frances Myles had been sitting atop the rigs in harnesses for more than 30 hours, stopping the oil and gas giant's work."
newsTracker: Protesters scale rigs at WA gas hub site
http://tracker.org.au/2012/09/protesters-scale-rigs-at-wa-gas-hub-site/
10 Sep 12: "WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Two protesters have scaled drill rigs at the site of Woodside’s proposed gas hub in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. Protest group Broome Community No Gas Campaign on Monday said Evan Dowlings and Frances Myles had climbed the rigs at James Price Point and were settling in for the day. The group claimed the action had stopped work at the project. At the same time, members of the local community gathered at Woodside’s Broome office, saying the company was ignoring information about Aboriginal heritage in the area."
Australian: Geoffrey Cousins slams James Price Point gas dealing as 'corrupt'
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/geoffrey-cousins-...
10 Sep 12: "DEALINGS between Woodside and the West Australian government over the $40 billion James Price Point gas hub should be investigated by a royal commission, businessman Geoffrey Cousins said yesterday. Mr Cousins said, in his view, the relationship smacked of "corruption" similar to dealings between Gunns and the Tasmanian government for a pulp mill in that state."
Australian: Gas giant Woodside silences advice on songlines
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gas-giant-woodside-sile...
8 Sep 12: "WOODSIDE wrote to the West Australian government at least twice last year asking it to withdraw written advice about the possible existence of significant Aboriginal sites in areas disturbed by its proposed $40 billion James Price Point gas hub. Any damage to the sites integral to an important Aboriginal men's song cycle could leave the resources giant and its directors liable for criminal prosecution under the state's Aboriginal Heritage Act."
Australian: Strings attached to support for gas hub
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/strings-atta...
6 Sep 12: "TRADITIONAL owners who voted for a liquefied natural gas precinct at James Price Point are threatening to reconsider their support if the Kimberley project's social and cultural impacts are not addressed as part of the approvals process. The Kimberley Land Council, representing the Goolarabaloo-Jabirr Jabirr people, has lodged an objection to the West Australian Environmental Protection Authority's approval of the onshore gas hub proposed by Woodside and its partners."
The West: Aboriginal blow to gas hub deal
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/14758539/aboriginal-blow-t...
5 Sep 12: "The lead Aboriginal organisation in talks with the State Government over the proposed $40 billion gas hub at James Price Point near Broome has appealed against the Environmental Protection Authority's approval of the project. It says the project threatened to leave Aboriginal people in the Kimberley worse off. The Kimberley Land Council said the EPA's report was "virtually silent" on the project's social and cultural effects and traditional owners could be forced to withdraw their support."
* GREENS CHRISTINE MILNE: JAMES PRICE POINT SENATE QUESTION
- Audio
Greens Christine Milne: James Price Point Senate Question
http://christine-milne.greensmps.org.au/content/audio/james-price-point-...
10 Sep 12: "Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Christine Milne, asked Senator Conroy in Senate Question Time how the Federal Government could have any confidence that the West Australian assessment and EPA reports have not been corrupted, in light of evidence that Woodside asked the Western Australian government to withdraw warnings from the Department of Indigenous affairs that the gas hub company might be acting in breach of the Aboriginal Heritage Act."
- Related News
newsTracker: Greens challenge Woodside project process
http://tracker.org.au/2012/09/greens-challenge-woodside-project-process/
11 Sep 12: "NATIONAL: The approval process for a $34 billion gas hub earmarked for Western Australia carries the "stench of corruption", the Senate has been told. Woodside Petroleum is seeking environmental approval to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at James Price Point near Broome, amid strong opposition from local Aboriginal and environmental groups. During Senate question time on Monday, Australian Greens senator Christine Milne asked the government if it had confidence in the WA assessment process."
* GREENS RACHEL SIEWERT: WA GOVT MUST ENSURE SOCIAL, CULTURAL IMPACT OF JPP DEVELOPMENT IS EXAMINED
- Media Release
Greens Rachel Siewert: WA Govt must ensure social, cultural impact of JPP development is examined
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/wa-govt-mu...
5 Sep 12: "Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says the WA Government needs to properly assess the social and cultural impacts of developing a gas hub at James Price Point.
A review of the EPA’s approval of the site is currently underway, after 244 appeals were received against their decision.
"The EPA paid lip service to social and cultural concerns about this project, and tried to palm the issue off by saying the study had already been done," Senator Siewert said today.
"However the work done by the KLC and its consultants clearly highlighted significant issues that needto be addressed.
"The traditional owners and the community deserve a full and proper investigation of the social and cultural impacts this development will have, and what, if anything, can be done to mitigate them. ... ""
* BACKGROUND TO THE WALMADAN TENT EMBASSY, JAMES PRICE POINT, NORTH OF BROOME, KIMBERLEY REGION, WA
Last updated: 1 September 2012
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: FMG 'DECLASSIFIED' THEN DESTROYED YINDJIBARNDI HERITAGE SITES
- Media Release
Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation: FMG 'Declassified' Then Destroyed Yindjibarndi Heritage Sites
http://yindjibarndi.org.au/yindjibarndi/?p=2683
11 Sep 12: "Recent reports that, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) is pushing ahead with the "low-cost Firetail deposit" at its Solomon Project, while scaling back other operations, have raised fears of a 'heritage holocaust' as FMG scrambles for cash flow to weather the freefall in iron ore price.
These fears follow confirmation in documents released by the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA), under the Freedom of Information Act, that FMG has destroyed two Yindjibarndi sites and damaged a third at Solomon with impunity, and has "under-reported" sites in the project area by about 30%. ... "
- Related Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/am-13-09.mp3
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
13 Sep 12: "The Western Australian Department of Indigenous Affairs will not pursue legal action against the Fortescue Metals Group despite confirmation that two sites of cultural significance were destroyed and a third damaged at FMG’s Solomon Project in the Pilbara."
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/am-12.09-final.mp3
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
12 Sep 12: "The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia says it has received confirmation from documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, that Yindjibarndi sacred sites had been damaged by mining developments on their country."
- Related News
ABC: Miner admits Indigenous sites were damaged
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-12/fmg-admits-indigenous-sites-were-d...
12 Sep 12: "The miner, Fortescue Metals Group, has admitted to the destruction of Aboriginal sites at its Solomon Hub project in Western Australia's Pilbara. In November last year, Indigenous people said sites had been damaged but FMG dismissed the claims as offensive and untrue. Now, the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation has documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information act, showing that two heritage sites were destroyed and a third was damaged by earth-moving equipment."
WA News: No legal action for FMG over sacred site desecration
http://www.businessday.com.au/wa-news/no-legal-action-for-fmg-over-sacre...
12 Sep 12: "Two sites of Aboriginal cultural significance have destroyed by Indigenous employment campaigner Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group at its Solomon Project in the Pilbara, according to documents released under Freedom of Information. But the WA Department of Indigenous Affairs' has decided not to pursue legal action against the miner under the Aboriginal Heritage Act for the destruction of the two sites and damage caused to a third."
Yahoo!7: Documents show sacred sites destroyed
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/14824176/documents-show-yindj...
11 Sep 12: "An Aboriginal corporation says Department of Indigenous Affairs documents show two Aboriginal heritage sites in the Pilbara were destroyed by mining operations last year. Last year, the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation alleged Fortescue Metals Group destroyed sacred sites near its Solomon Hub mine, allegations FMG rejected. However, the corporation obtained documents under the Freedom of Information act which reveal Department officers surveyed the area and found up to 90 per cent of the two sites were destroyed, with a third damaged as well."
* BACKGROUND TO THE YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation
http://yindjibarndi.org.au/yindjibarndi/
* CONGRESS: ABORIGINAL PEOPLE & EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES WRAP
- News
National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples: Aboriginal People & Extractive Industries Wrap
http://nationalcongress.com.au/aboriginal-people-must-be-front-and-centr...
28 Aug 12: "The Congress Co-Chairs last week hosted the UN Special Rapporteur, James Anaya on his visit to Australia to meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional owners as well as with representatives from peak organisations and communities. He also spoke with NGOs, government and industry as part of his international study on extractive industries. The Co-Chairs specifically thanked the Njamal people for hosting them and Professor Anaya, on a visit to the site of their joint venture agreement with Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) in the Pilbara."
See:
Background to National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples
Last updated: 5 May 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/05/background-to-the-national-congress-o...
* ABC PM: INDIGENOUS GROUPS DEBATE PROS AND CONS OF MINING
- Audio
ABC PM: Indigenous groups debate pros and cons of mining
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-04/indigenous-groups-debate-pros-and-...
4 Sep 12: "Indigenous groups in Arnhem Land are debating whether mining is good for Aboriginal communities. Communities in the Top End are attending the annual Garma Festival, which has attracted an array of speakers from traditional elders, mining executives and union officials."
* NIT: AMBITIOUS LAND CLAIM PLAN PROPOSED TO HALT MUCKATY NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP
- News
National Indigenous Times: Ambitious land claim plan proposed to halt Muckaty nuclear waste dump
http://www.nit.com.au/news/1794-ambitious-land-claim-plan-proposed-to-ha...
6 Sep 12: "By National Indigenous Times reporter Geoff Bagnall. An ambitious plan has been launched to win the support of Traditional Owners throughout the Northern Territory to lodge a land claim covering the entire Territory to stop the Federal Government's planned Muckaty Station nuclear waste dump. The audacious claim plans to use the Federal Government's own land rights legislation... "
- Related News
ABC: Darwin council concerned about nuke dump safety
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-12/darwin-council-seeks-safety-assura...
12 Sep 12: "The Darwin City Council wants to know what safety systems would be in place for transporting waste from the proposed Muckaty Station nuclear dump near Tennant Creek. The council has weighed into the debate about Australia's first nuclear waste dump which is expected to be built at Muckaty Station. Councillors want the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) to seek advice about risk management systems for transporting nuclear waste."
* BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED MUCKATY NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:
Last updated: 21 August 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-proposed-muckaty-nu...
* OTHER ARTICLES:
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: Julian Assange offered Aboriginal passport
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7536-assange-offered-aboriginal-...
13 Sep 12: "Indigenous Social Justice Association President Ray Jackson alleges Mr. Assange hasn't received enough support from the Australian Government and the passport is a sign of solidarity. "We're saying, 'you're not being given a fair go by your own governments and we've never received any great assistance from your government either. 'We recognise you as an Australian citizen and if you are willing, Julian Assange, to recognise the sovereignty of the Aboriginal people in the sovereign Aboriginal nation, then we will issue you with a passport'.""
Koori Mail: Aboriginal 'passport' for Assange
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
12 Sep 12: "THE Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) says it will issue WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with an 'Aboriginal nations passport'. The organisation has worked with the Sydney Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition (SWAC) to arrange for Assange’s father Jim Shipton to accept the diplomatic document on his behalf in Sydney on Saturday. ISJA president Ray Jackson says the Australian Government has done nothing to help prevent Assange being 'press-ganged to America to face corrupt charges against him for informing the world’s people of the absolute lies that all Governments continue to tell their people'."
Koori Mail: Qld Budget cuts to Indigenous programs
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
12 Sep 12: "THE Queensland Government will cut $12 million from the state's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs portfolio over the next four years. The State Budget yesterday forecast a multi-billion dollar deficit this financial year including $800 million in redundancy payments for public servants. The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs will lose 15 staff. Most Indigenous spending under the Budget has centred around Cape York. Murri courts have reportedly been scrapped, as have plans to build an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Brisbane's Musgrave Park."
Koori Mail: Partnership 'critical' to closing the gap
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
12 Sep 12: "THE Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the release of a Federal Government discussion paper to inform the development of a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plan. Campaign co-chair and Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said the most critical ingredient in the plan would be having Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 'front and centre' in its development. A 'business as usual' approach would not close the gap, Mr Gooda said."
ABC: Negotiations continue over Ampilatwatja lease
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-12/federal-govt-not-aware-of-lease-re...
12 Sep 12: "The Federal Government says it is not aware that the remote Central Australian community of Ampilatwatja has rejected a Commonwealth lease over their land. Jim Hampson from the community's Aboriginal corporation says residents are not going to sign the lease because there has not been enough offered in return. ... Mr Hampson says traditional owners will negotiate with the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments about the future of service delivery."
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