Lynette Dickinson, Pottsville.
I was shocked to hear that the Queensland Government was ready to extinguish Native Title rights of the Wangan and Jagalingou traditional owners of the land on which the Adani Carmichael coal mine is set to be built, even though on four occasions since 2012 the W&J traditional owners had voted unanimously at an authorisation meeting to reject an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Adani, underlining their sustained opposition to the mine.
However, the government had refused to wait until their Federal Court case to challenge extinguishment of their Native Title rights is heard next March.
Subsequent to thousands of emails and phone calls of objection being sent to the Queensland premier, deputy premier and minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, this week the W&J traditional owners have been granted an interim injunction against the Queensland Government and Adani.
This gives them respite so that their case against the extinguishment of their Native Title rights can be heard in the Federal Court. However, there is no guarantee that they will win the court case.
As if our Indigenous people have not suffered enough! We have invaded their land, murdered their people, stolen their children and wages, and destroyed their culture.
They fought long and hard for Native Title rights over their land. Why is another blow being inflicted on our First Australians? It seems that Native Title rights are simply a symbolic gesture that can be retracted at any time that development and dollars get in the way.
The W&J traditional owners strenuously object to the Adani Carmichael coal mine and deplore the degradation that the Adani mining project will wreak on their culture, environment and ancestral lands. Why isn’t the government listening to them? I encourage your readers to register their objection to this injustice on our First Australians by sending an email to Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk: [email protected], Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad: [email protected], and Queensland minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy the Hon Dr Anthony Lynham MP: [email protected].
AboriginalAffairs | WanganAndJagalingou Rights on the Chopping Block for Adani’s ‘Non Viable’ Project
‘In the 4th in a 5part series on proposedAdaniCarmichaelCoalMine,
JohnQuiggin looks at the numbers for the project, &
like virtually all other parts of the planned project,
they don’t survive closer examination’
WGARcompilation: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/wgar-news/qJerR4l9XqM
JohnQuiggin NewMatilda: https://newmatilda.com/2017/12/24/the-numbers-dont-stack-up-wjs-rights-on-the-chopping-block-for-adanis-non-viable-project/
We have compiled a WGARnewsletter based on the above letter by LynetteDickinson.
It is at the following Public link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/wgar-news/2AYoYhuJ2Mo
It is a compilation and includes links to many other articles by or about WanganAndJagalingou TraditionalOwners
Please have a read!
Also see W&J’s homepage:
Wangan & Jagalingou: wanganjagalingou.com.au
In Unity and Solidarity,
‘Dez’ for the editorial team of WGAR
What is respite for what was done “We have invaded their land, murdered their people, stolen their children and wages, and destroyed their culture.” A mere native title which is of no value doesn’t mean anything.
If the title is extinguished, it was well within the law agreed.
If you are serious and sincere enough, can you fight for bringing in a law where in only traditional owners can only establish anything on their land and they become part owners of the establishment and land title for ever continue with them and all land occupies is returned to them.
Agreed.
I have not seen evidence that Qld State Govt intends to extinguish Native Title, even if it had the power to, which I believe it does not. As far as I know Qld Labor respects the process and supports the next stage in a federal court in 2018. As I’ve read it, the case concerns the validity of some of the signatories of the ILUA between W & J and Adani. It does not relate to the mine itself, or its impacts.