Years ago here in Australia we had a government (actually many governments) that took what they wanted without concern for the people of the country, the Aboriginal, the natives of this great land were dispossessed, marginalized and treated as though they didnt exist other than to be slaves for the white man. Then as time wore on so society changed as did governments, as it did the "white Australia policy" was enacted, this had a massive impact on the Aboriginals, with a policy of taking little children from their natural parents into christian run missions to be raised as white children only without the same rights to become maids servants and station hands on the sprawling cattle and sheep stations around the country, most often the little ones were taken completely to a new distant part of the country where they had no ties, either to country or tribal, it was also the time of the "dog act" whereby the Aboriginal had to get a legal document to allow free movement around the country, alcohol was not allowed and most worked for rations of food, flour, tea and hopefully hand me down clothing.
Time again moved on and governments changed and finally came the day when one Prime Minister gave land taken from Aboriginal people back to them, this was Mabo and the start of whats been termed Native Title here whereby Aboriginal people with continuous ties to their land had the right to claim title and it was hoped of a great change in Aboriginal rights in Australia.
Time moved on again and so did governments, with this came the day when the Australian government said "sorry" to the Aboriginal people of Australia for past wrongs and again it was hoped that this was the start of something better for the Aboriginals.
A few short years later and time had moved on to all intents into a brighter future for all people of Australia, but in Western Australia the government under Premier Colin Barnett decided that Aboriginal people had no right to Native Title and decided to resume the land of the Goolarbooloo people of the Dampier Peninsula known as James Prices Point.
Why would they do this and take Australian Aboriginal interaction BACK 100 years? One reason and one reason only... Money.
The government under Colin Barnett or as hes become known in the Kimberley as Coal Burnitt has made an agreement with the multinational conglomerate known as Woodside Petrolium along with Shell and others to create a massive gas industrial hub area directly over the Goolarbooloo peoples tribal lands, in the process destroying cultural song lines going back millenia, destroying burial grounds, and areas of cultural sygnificance to the tribe, sadly the area is also a migration point for humpback whales who come to the area to breed and calf, its also a breeding ground for up to 7 species of turtles, along with a true awe inspiring wildreness untouched and unmatched by humanity.
Pristine turquoise waters lap the red pindan cliffs, the white sands of the small inlets and beaches often have tracks of the many crabs and birdlife that live on the shoreline, often its simple to see dolphins, manta rays, sharks, whales and other sea life right near the shore, while in the air are many breeds of migratory birds making their long trek from Siberia to Roebuck Bay in nearby Broome, on land are many endangered specie of flora and fauna, its one of the true last frontiers.
Yet... Woodside and the government under Colin Barnett want to destroy it. TOTALLY.
But that is not enough for this Premier!! He has his sights on the iconic Horizontal Falls just further north from James Prices Point, these are one of the wonders of the world albeit little known. Sadly for the Horizontal Falls area its also rich in copper and uranium and so a target for the mining companies and the government.
BUT! Even that is not enough for this Premier! He intends to create a massive coal mine just inland from the area in the southwest of the state known as Margret River, known for its wineries and surfing beaches, but he is not satisfied.
It beggers belief that a man we voted into power just a year ago would first attempt to take Aboriginal realtions back to the dark days of the last century, to destroy not one but two unique parts of Australia in the Kimberley region but that he also has intentions of destroying the major vineyard area of the southwest of the state. How can he be allowed to govern this state?
It is one thing to support big business but at the least make them use facilities and areas ALREADY in use for the same purposes!! Karratha to the south of Broome is a Woodside town! A mining town with EVERYTHING in place for gas production and refining! There is NO NEED to come to the Dampier Penininsula! NONE
Things that WILL happen when and if this new gas hub goes ahead, first the Goolarbooloo people WILL BE displaced, second the entire area (at last count some 10,000 sq hectares and growing) will be fenced off from access to anyone other than those in the employ or under contract to Woodside Petrolium, then the road out there will be widened and bitumined so that the semi loads of equipment materials and machinery can be transported to the site. Third, the company WILL build an airstrip to bring in their fly in fly out workers and finally the fence will have ONE gate in and out this will be guarded night and day allowing NO ACCESS.
Meanwhile they will dredge the area in front of the refinery (hub) then they will drill into the pristine coral reef just offshore and put in a massive jetty so the ships can dock then they will build the massive hub itself... the plans presently show massive swathes of land earmarked for "future development" in other words Woodside has every intention of building a massive industrial area in a wilderness area of the Kimberley many miles from anywhere other than the tourist town of Broome and the small town of Derby to the north.
What will this do to Broome and its present industry of Pearl farming (the south sea pearl being its second only to tourism industry) first the silting of the pristine waters from Willie Creek through to Cable Beach will be forever ruined as the massive amounts of silt from the drilling of the reef move on the tides, this will cause the south sea pearl industry here to collapse for the pearl oyster cannot produce pearls in silted water. The tourism industry will see a major collapse from the tourists NOT wanting to come to see cloudy murky waters where once were beautiful pristine turquoise waters.
Horizontal falls? Is in an area that is extremely remote the only way in being by water or by air, that gives you an idea of how pristine the Horizontal Falls area is! You cannot drive in there by road. But once the mining starts the whole area including the falls themselves will be mined and destroyed.
The Margaret River area? Will loose its wineries due to the dust and heavy industry that follows coal or any sort of mining, the surf beaches of the region will be destroyed as they build bigger ports to cater for the massive coal ships that will be required, along with the massive industry that will be needed.
So presently we are looking at loosing not one nor two but THREE areas of major importance to this state and its people.
Benefits? NONE.
Jobs? NONE for Woodside along with ALL mining and oil companies that work here fly in fly out their workers!
To the town? NONE for the fly in fly out nature of the workforce means little money is spent in the town by the companies or its employees or contractors
I heard a person say today that "its progress" NO ITS NOT!!! Progress is when something occurs to IMPROVE the lives of those living in the area, its when something happens that improves and benefits the region, mining, gas and oil DO NOT BENEFIT any local community.
So what can we do? Write to Premier Barnett speak your objections to his proposals, write to the local state and national newspapers, email the state and federal ministers for the environment, be PRO-ACTIVE in your objections!
The many varied action groups NEED to join hands and make this a united stand, together we can achieve anything alone we achieve very little. Whether Aboriginal or White Australian, European, Asian, American, Brazillian, or Antarctican/Arctican wherever in this small little planet you live please DO SOMETHING to stop this atrocity from eventuating.
International people can email the Premier, Prime Minister and Ministers
I will get the links to their emails and post them shortly, but for now a simple google search for the following will get you started... please dont think its too hard make the small simple effort and take the few seconds it takes to make your voice heard
Contact;
Environs Kimberley
Getup
Save the Kimberley
Love and kindness to all
Shane the wayward walkabout wanderer
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