From the United Nations to the streets, the fight to save Murujuga has escalated with Traditional Owners saying no one is listening.
Traditional Owners and community members marched in Perth protesting the continued development of a fertiliser plant on Murujuga or Burrup Peninsula in WA’s Pilbara region.
Mardudhunera woman Josie Alec has been fighting against the development since plans first came to light.
"This is what our ancestors wanted us to do, so we're doing it. We are doing it wholeheartedly and we are doing it for change," she said.
"There is always hope."
Murujuga is home to some of the oldest recorded rock art, with some dating back 70,000 years, and is currently shortlisted to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.
However, the art could be seriously damaged or destroyed by a proposed $4.3 billion urea fertiliser plant which would sit within close proximity to the site.
Josie Alec told NITV News that she cried for two hours after finding out the WA government had approved the controversial project. Source: Kearyn Cox
The hope of a new government
On Friday, WA environment minister Reece Whitby gave the green light to Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers to begin construction on the proposed plant.
Ms Alec told NITV News that she cried for two hours when she heard the news.
"I just couldn't believe it," she said.
"They just have no idea how amazing this place is and how connected it is to other sacred sites."
In a statement to NITV News, Mr Whitby said that the state government has been in consultation with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) on "all decision-making related to the Burrup Strategic Industrial Area".
“The Burrup Peninsula is host to several export industries critical to the Western Australian and national economies, and it is a priority that these co-exist harmoniously with surrounding cultural heritage," said Mr Whitby.
Ms Alec rejects the minister's sentiment.
"They said industry and culture can coexist - they can't," she said.
"Culture and industry cannot coexist, it's never been done in the past and it shouldn't be done now."
Greens Senator Dorinda Cox also shared Ms Alec's concerns
The Noongar/Yamatji woman said that "no responsible government should be putting the short-term profits of big corporations" above a "safe climate future".
"That's exactly what will happen if these projects go ahead," she said.
The rock art at Murujuga is believed to be the oldest rock art in the whole world. Source: AFP
A bid to the above
Frustrated by Mr Whitby's decision, Ms Alec and Mardudhunera woman Raelene Cooper turned, once again, to the federal government.
The pair first applied for an emergency assessment of cultural heritage impacts under Section 9 and Section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act (ATSHIPA) on February 9.
Section 9 would provide a 60-day moratorium on any works and Section 10 allows the appointment of a reporter to assess cultural heritage impacts of industry.
Perdaman was issued a stop work order when the Section 9 application was received, however on March 31, former Minister for Environment Sussan Ley rejected the application based on there being no ‘serious and immediate threat of injury of desecration’ as the company would not start work until May 23 – two days after the election.
On June 6, after Tanya Plibersek was sworn in as Minister for Environment and Linda Burney as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Ms Cooper and Ms Alec applied again. They have not received a response.
"The game changes at every stage," Ms Alec said.
"This shouldn't be happening to us . . . government is supposed to be there to protect you, to do the right thing by its people. It's not doing anything right by its people at the moment - not one single thing.
"I realise the government has a big job to do, but when it comes to Aboriginal heritage, to protecting Country, it isn't enough. They aren't taking action."
On July 18, the women wrote to both ministers with three demands.
They urged the ministers to contact Perdaman immediately and request all work be stopped until the status of the Section 9 application is determined, to use their ministerial powers to stop the project from threatening the cultural heritage and install a Section 10 reporter to conduct a review into the impact of the development on cultural heritage – as requested in February.
Minister Burney told NITV News that Ms Plibersek has received the request for a Section 9 and that no work will halt whilst a decision is being made.
"I have visited the Burrup Peninsula and I understand how important this is to the Traditional Owners," she said.
"I am working with Minister Plibersek in considering the Government's position on issues relating to First Nations cultural heritage protection and the impacts of industries and projects on heritage sites."
The Burrup Peninsula industrial area includes major iron ore port, liquefied natural gas production, salt production and nitrate facilities. Source: AFP
Addressing the United Nations
Early in July, Ms Cooper and Ms Alec appeared before the United Nations’ Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The pair told the international body that industry by removing and destroying rock art is executing another form of “cultural genocide”.
“This has caused loss of our traditional livelihoods, traditional Indigenous knowledge and our spiritual relationship with the land. There has been displacement and ecological degradation,” they said.
Ms Alec acknowledged the gagged clauses silencing Traditional Owners and the lack of Free, Prior and Informed Consent both in regard to the Burrup but also in WA as a whole.
Raelene Cooper and Josie Alec at the United Nations. Source: Save our Songlines
Hope above all
Despite relentless and fierce advocacy by the women, Ms Alec said it's clear they're being ignored and fears that the government haven't learnt lessons from the destruction of Juukan Gorge.
"They're not listening," she said.
“It is history repeating itself, but we can change history. This is how we change history. We go on the mistakes we have made already, that was a pretty damming mistake.
“The government needs to stop this . . . enough is enough."
Ms Alec remains hopeful, reminding herself each day of why she continues to fight.
"It's going to be a long haul for a lot of people but this is what we have to do right? We just got to keep on standing up and fighting," she said.
"We didn't get this far without our mob standing up and fighting, right?"
NITV News contacted Perdaman for comment, however, did not receive a response before time of publication.
Josie Alec addressing the crowd at the Murujuga protest in Perth. Source: Kearyn Cox
