Newsletter date: 20 November 2013
Contents:
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Law Boss Joseph Roe and Premier Colin Barnett at odds over Walmadany
* Goolarabooloo: Looking after Country! We are the Goolarabooloo people
* Rick Wilkinson, Oil & Gas Journal: James Price Point site to serve as potential offshore supply base
* WA today: WA completes Kimberley gas purchase
* The West Australian: Land secured for Broome gas precinct
* Background to the Walmadan Tent Embassy, James Price Point, north of Broome, Kimberley Region, WA
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Karpanys win native title fishing rights in High Court
* Tracker: High Court upholds native title fishing right
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: New standalone laws to water down culture and heritage protection
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Don't take our lands - Yami Lester
* Josie Evans, Green Left: Aboriginal heritage under attack from mining
* Upcoming Sydney Event: Mining, Land, Community: Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) - 21 Nov 13
* Tracker: ACF questions Ranger uranium mine safety
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: LAW BOSS JOSEPH ROE AND PREMIER COLIN BARNETT AT ODDS OVER WALMADANY
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Law Boss Joseph Roe and Premier Colin Barnett at odds over Walmadany
http://thestringer.com.au/law-boss-joseph-roe-and-premier-colin-barnett-...
16 Nov 13: "Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett and Goolarabooloo Law Boss, Joseph Roe are at odds with each other. Premier Barnett is adamant that his Government will develop James Price Point while Mr Roe, and his family, are adamant that it will only "happen over our dead bodies." Mr Roe said that Premier Barnett does not care about the rights of Aboriginal peoples, that he is bent on destroying the cultural heritage and recreational grounds of the Goolarabooloo peoples. Mr Roe has called once again for a Royal Commission into Premier Barnett’s conduct over his push to acquire and develop James Price, known as Walmadany to the Goolarabooloo." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* GOOLARABOOLOO: LOOKING AFTER COUNTRY! WE ARE THE GOOLARABOOLOO PEOPLE
- Background
Goolarabooloo: Looking after Country! We are the Goolarabooloo people
http://www.goolarabooloo.org.au/
"As you know, every country has laws. Here we have our own Traditional Laws. Our Laws come from Bugarregarre, the Dreamtime. One of the major responsibilities of the Kimberley Law Bosses (the Elders) is to ensure that Traditional Culture (Law) is passed down to succeeding generations, in order to keep the Country and it's people safe. The role of principle Law Boss and Law-Keeper for this land was handed over by Paddy Roe in his latter years, via traditional ceremony, to his grandson, Joseph Roe. ... "
- Location Map
Goolarabooloo: Where is it?
http://www.goolarabooloo.org.au/where-is-it.html
"The Goolarabooloo Community is located just north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia."
* RICK WILKINSON, OIL & GAS JOURNAL: JAMES PRICE POINT SITE TO SERVE AS POTENTIAL OFFSHORE SUPPLY BASE
- News
Oil & Gas Journal: James Price Point site to serve as potential offshore supply base
http://www.ogj.com/articles/2013/11/james-price-point-site-to-serve-as-p...
13 Nov 13: "The Western Australian government has finalized acquisition of a 3,414 ha site near James Price Point in the Kimberley region in the state’s northwest to serve as a potential supply base for offshore projects. The move comes despite the Woodside Petroleum Ltd. joint venture planning the Browse LNG development abandoning the location as a site for an LNG facility in favor of floating LNG facilities. The state government, ... has paid $10 million (Aus.) for an economic development fund and $20 million (Aus.) for indigenous housing in accordance with native title agreements signed in 2011." By Rick Wilkinson, OGJ Correspondent
* WA TODAY: WA COMPLETES KIMBERLEY GAS PURCHASE
- News
WA today: WA completes Kimberley gas purchase
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-completes-kimberley-gas-purchase-20...
12 Nov 13: "Indigenous communities in Western Australia's north will receive a $30 million windfall, after the state government completed the purchase of land for their push to develop gas fields in the Kimberley. Premier Colin Barnett confirmed the state government had acquired the land for a gas precinct near James Price Point, intended to support the development of nearby gas fields."
* THE WEST AUSTRALIAN: LAND SECURED FOR BROOME GAS PRECINCT
- News
The West Australian: Land secured for Broome gas precinct
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/national/19788013/land-sec...
12 Nov 13: "Premier Colin Barnett has pushed ahead with the acquisition of land for a gas precinct at James Price Point near Broome despite Woodside and its joint venture partners deciding their Browse LNG project will be developed using floating technology. The State Government announced this morning it had completed the acquisition of 3414 hectares of land at James Price Point for a gas precinct. Mr Barnett had hoped the land would be used for an onshore gas processing hub for the Browse project but has all but conceded the land is now more likely to be used as a service and supply base for the project."
* BACKGROUND TO THE WALMADAN TENT EMBASSY, JAMES PRICE POINT, NORTH OF BROOME, KIMBERLEY REGION, WA
Last updated: 14 November 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/02/walmadan-tent-embassy-james-price-poi...
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: KARPANYS WIN NATIVE TITLE FISHING RIGHTS IN HIGH COURT
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Karpanys win native title fishing rights in High Court
http://thestringer.com.au/karpanys-win-native-title-fishing-rights-in-hi...
8 Nov 13: "The High Court has ruled in favour of Narrunga Elder Owen Karpany and his son Daniel that they were entitled to a catch of abalone under native title rights. The father and son had been charged with having caught undersized greenlip abalone. Mr Owen Karpany said they were not engaging in commercial fishing and that they were fishing in traditional waters in a traditional manner. Their right to fish and to the catch became a rights battle for all Aboriginal peoples they said. They stood solid against an earlier court ruling which found that native title rights had been extinguished in 1971 when the Fisheries Act took effect." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* TRACKER: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS NATIVE TITLE FISHING RIGHT
- News
newsTracker: High Court upholds native title fishing right
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/high-court-upholds-native-title-fishing-ri...
7 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: The High Court has upheld the native title rights of an Aboriginal father and son to take even under-sized abalone. Seven High Court judges ruled the native title rights of Owen and Daniel Karpany were not extinguished by the South Australian Fisheries Management Act. The case dates back to 2009 when fisheries officers busted the father and son, who are members of the Narrunga people, near Cape Elizabeth with 32 abalone – including 24 smaller than the 13-centimetre size limit. They said they planned to divide up the catch and eat them at a banquet with about 15 family members." By Tracker
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: NEW STANDALONE LAWS TO WATER DOWN CULTURE AND HERITAGE PROTECTION
- News
newsTracker: New standalone laws to water down culture and heritage protection
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/new-standalone-laws-to-water-down-culture-...
8 Nov 13: "NEW SOUTH WALES: Developers could be given greater power to destroy significant Aboriginal culture and heritage under the NSW government’s proposal to deliver long-awaited standalone laws. New South Wales is the only state or territory that hasn’t enacted separate legislation for the protection of our precious culture and heritage, despite it first being promised by Labor over 30 years ago. Aboriginal peak organisations, including NSWALC (publisher of Tracker), have consistently called on state governments to fulfill this promise." By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, editor of Tracker
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: DON'T TAKE OUR LANDS - YAMI LESTER
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Don't take our lands - Yami Lester
http://thestringer.com.au/dont-take-our-lands-yami-lester/
16 Nov 13: "There is a wave of fear spreading across remote Aboriginal communities where people had believed that in the least they had achieved the return of Country through various forms of land rights and agreements. Elders around the country are joining Northern Territory Elders in speaking out against the blitzkrieg campaign being conducted by the Federal Government for communities to effectively sign away their Country for 99-year-leases – what many Elders believe a blatant Government campaign to end Aboriginal land rights." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
- Related News
The Australian: Overhaul township leasing system, says Northern Land Council
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/overhaul-townshi...
18 Nov 13: "THE powerful Northern Land Council is calling for the federal 99-year township leasing system to be overhauled in a bid to increase the benefits to remote Aboriginal communities. The council has also rejected claims by a senior indigenous leader that he is a traditional owner excluded from recent negotiations with Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion over a lease." Patricia Karvelas
See:
WGAR News: "Statement by Rev. Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM regarding MOUs on township 99 year leases" (11 Nov 13)
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/11/10/wgar-news-statement-by-rev-dr-djiniyi...
* JOSIE EVANS, GREEN LEFT: ABORIGINAL HERITAGE UNDER ATTACK FROM MINING
- Analysis / Opinion
Green Left: Aboriginal heritage under attack from mining
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55330
9 Nov 13: "About 100 Aboriginal people and their supporters gathered at Hyde Park fountain in Sydney on November 1 to protest against the continued desecration of Aboriginal sites across NSW by coal and coal seam gas mining companies Boggabri Coal, Whitehaven Coal and Santos. The rally was organised by Gomeroi people from Gunnedah in north-west New South Wales. People of all ages were present, from young children to elders. ... Talbott called for the grassroots Aboriginal movement to be the ones to make decisions about Aboriginal heritage ... " By Josie Evans
* UPCOMING SYDNEY EVENT: MINING, LAND, COMMUNITY: MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MCA)
- Upcoming Event
Event: 21 November 2013: The Rocks, Sydney, NSW
Mining, Land, Community
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
"Debate the highly charged and divisive topic of
mining culture in Australia in this discussion event,
exploring the positive and negative impacts of the
mining industry on indigenous communities in Australia."
Event details: http://www.mca.com.au/events/mining-land-community/7365/
* TRACKER: ACF QUESTIONS RANGER URANIUM MINE SAFETY
- News
newsTracker: ACF questions Ranger uranium mine safety
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/acf-questions-ranger-uranium-mine-safety/
11 Nov 13: "NT: It would be a case of good luck rather than good management, if it turns out there is no radiation contamination due to an an unauthorised vehicle leaving the Ranger uranium site in Kakadu, an environment group says. At about midnight on Sunday, a controlled vehicle used in the most contaminated parts of the Rio Tinto-owned Ranger mine left the site without permission. ... But the breach was not revealed until Thursday to the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (GAC), which represents the Mirarr traditional owners of the Ranger project area and much of the surrounding park." By Tracker
- - -
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