running roughshod over Traditional Owners

Borroloola is a town/community south-east of Ngukurr and the two places have strong ties.

The NT Govt is running roughshod over the locals and Traditional Owners who are trying to legally stop a mine expansion and the diversion of their river(!).

It's absolutely shameful.

My gagu has been writing about it on his blog. Click on the link to 'matjjin-nehen' there on the right please.

If there was something more I could suggest you do, I'd ask you to do it, but I don't know what we can do!

Very sad indeed.

Comments

Anonymous said…

It's absolutely disillusioning to think that a government will move heaven and earth (enacting legislation at the 11th hour is no small gesture) to secure the interests of a mining company over some of its most disadvantaged and powerless constituents.
This is why Australia needs a whole hierarchy of Regional Aboriginal Councils representing the interests of local groups and made up of elected representatives from those groups.
A homogenous body like ATSIC was powerful, but couldn't cater to the needs of particular groups, especially those with smaller populations.

If there was something more I could suggest you do, I'd ask you to do it, but I don't know what we can do!
I know, I too feel so bitterly powerless.

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