Ancient middens desecrated
Saturday 11th June Today about 100 women stood strong for country, effectively blocking off and turning back Woodside workers intent on clearing land. Jubilation mixed with sadness and anger at Woodside and State Governments push to have land cleared in the midst of pristine monsoonal vine thickets that are under consideration for heritage listing with many species endemic to only this small portion of land. There is also the matter of further discovery of more dinosaur footprints, with tracks of small prints no bigger than your thumb to monster size prints, measuring 1.7metres across. Paleontologists from Queensland and direct from China are flying in on Wednesday to report.
“People are misinformed”, stated defenders today. Woodside are clearing much more than 25 hectares stated, they are clearing small chunks all over country which add up to 25 hectares but actually covers 100’s of hectares. They have been driving all over sacred country, fragile dune systems, taking women into men’s place and desecrating ancient middens. For the past 20 years the Broome Shire, Coast Care, Broome Bird Observatory, the Department of Environment and Conservation, Coast West, and the Goolarabooloo Seaside Culture have all been involved at one stage or other in caring for this coastline and the Lurujarri Heritage Trail and Cultural Songline. “It’s breaking people’s hearts to see Woodside workers tearing up country”. To the people who know and love this country, this is not a piece of real estate but a living, growing, place in their hearts and each place along the songline gives a special feeling. To them it is a magical place.
Opponents of the James Price Point project say there are other alternatives for Browse gas processing that would have little or no impact on the Kimberley coast – one of the natural wonders of the world – and at the same time could deliver a similar level of economic benefits promised to Kimberley communities. For more information visit Hands Off Country Blog or Environs Kimberley.