Traditional owners ask federal politicians for help to protect McArthur River Mine sacred sites
Aboriginal traditional owners have made a plea to federal MPs and senators investigating the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves in WA, asking for their help to protect sacred sites in the NT.
Their concerns relate to sacred and archaeologically
significant sites on and around the McArthur River Mine.
Senators and MPs on the federal Standing Committee on
Northern Australia travelled to the remote Gulf of Carpentaria town of
Borroloola to take evidence from more than 100 traditional owners.
Many told the committee they were concerned mining giant
Glencore had asked the Northern Territory Heritage Minister for permission to
cause impacts to their ancient sites on and around the McArthur River Mine,
which it operates through a subsidiary.
Traditional owner Casey Davey told the ABC he hoped to hear
good answers from the committee members.
"It's really hurting us here, same as the mob in
Western Australia," he said.
The NT government is currently considering Glencore's
request to expand its massive waste rock dump on the mine up to the level of a
barramundi dreaming sacred site, and to remove stone tools from an Aboriginal
quarry and then build part of the dump on the artefact site.
Labor MP Warren Snowdon, who chaired the committee in
Borroloola, told the ABC the decision to hold the hearing in private was made
so people could speak freely.
"That was to give people the freedom to be able to
express themselves and talk about things in a way that they felt comfortable
talking," he said.
"At some future point, if they want to give evidence
under parliamentary privilege and put it on Hansard, we would accommodate
that."
He said although the federal committee had no legal power to
influence the decisions of the NT and other state and territory governments
over sacred sites, the spotlight the inquiry was putting on problems would halt
some contested decisions for now.
"What we've seen in Western Australia will give
everyone pause to think, because we've seen the issues in Kakadu and the cases
around here, the Aboriginal site protection authority in the Northern Territory
need to be listened to."
Community leaders give evidence
The evidence was heard in a tin shed on the edge of
Borroloola in the baking early dry season heat.
Garawa elder Jack Green, who is a Borroloola Aboriginal
leader, said his written submission to the committee contained pictures of some
of his many paintings, which accuse Glencore of dividing traditional owners
over what should happen to sacred sites on the mine.
"Because I can't read or write, this is the only way I
can get them to see what I'm worried about.
"They [Glencore] just pick up certain people that's
going to agree with them, and under our law, Aboriginal law, you can't do that.
"We're all in this together, the four clan groups here,
and the families who are connected to that land."
After the meeting, Mr Green said it appeared the committee
listened intently to the traditional owners' concerns.
"I think they're probably going to stand up pretty
strong for us" he said.
His wife Josephine Davey is a Gudanji traditional owner.
She said she has already been hurt because the mine was
built on a rainbow serpent dreaming site.
"I just hope they listened to us, to the problem we've
got here," she said.
"I want the mine to clean up the damage that they done
and to look after our sacred sites, protect them."
Committee will visit mine site
Glencore has asked for permission to build the waste rock
dump to 140 metres high beside the barramundi dreaming, and destroy the stone
tool quarry, based on an agreement it made with six mine site custodians in
2017.
The agreement, viewed by the ABC, promises each custodian an
$85,000 car and $400 food and $400 fuel vouchers every month, for custodians to
share with their family groups, for the duration of mining.
After the waste rock dump expansion is approved the
agreement promises $250,000 for each custodian to spend on their homes.
In response to questions about the custodian agreement,
Glencore gave the ABC a statement, which said it viewed the protection of
sacred and cultural sites as critical and it looked forward to welcoming the
parliamentary committee.
"The committee will view a number of sacred and
cultural heritage sites on our mining lease, accompanied by traditional
owners," a spokesperson said.
"Protection of sacred and cultural heritage sites at
the mine is of critical importance and we welcome the opportunity to show the
mine site to committee members."
The NT government's Aboriginal Area Protection Authority has
rejected Glencore's custodian agreement as invalid because not all traditional
owners were consulted.
The NT government last year gave Glencore permission to keep
expanding the dump, subject to a decision on the future of the sacred sites.
The NT Heritage Minister is still considering Glencore's
request to overrule the AAPA's sacred sites certificate refusal.
Traditional owner worried over what will happen once mining
ends
Traditional owners including Mr Davey are worried Glencore
plans to leave half a billion tonnes of waste rock on the bank of the McArthur
River forever, once mining stops in 2037.
"Hopefully, they don't just walk away and leave
everything up to us to try and clean up their messes," Mr Davey said.
The reactive waste rock contains material which burns when
in contact with air or rain. The mine's government-appointed independent monitor
has reported over many years that it is causing acid mine drainage from the
dump and from the mine's tailings dam.
Environmental hydrology engineer Philippa Higgins from the
University of New South Wales Global Water Institute travelled to Borroloola to
give traditional owners information about the threats to the water-dependent
sacred sites — two waterholes and two sacred trees — identified by the mine's
independent monitor, before the paliamentary committee hearing.
"We have seen some information from the independent
monitor reports that they are expecting drawdown of the groundwater from the
Djirrinmini waterhole, but we don't have any baseline data to say what the
magnitude of that impact is," she said.
"What's even more concerning is that these other three
sacred sites that we know rely on groundwater have not been addressed at all in
any of the mine reporting or independent monitor reports.
"There is no way for us to know what their status
is."
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