2 pages including this one
Ancient
Aboriginal
Burial Ground Destroyed and Ancient Skeletal Remains Smashed by
$170Million
Wattle Point Wind Farm Development.
In June 2004, the South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Terry Roberts, determined that the site for the proposed $170million Wattle Point Wind farm development, on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, was a significant Aboriginal site, which comprised of Dreaming and 2 archaeological sites.
One month later, July 2004, against our wishes, the Minister gave the go ahead for Meridian Energy (now Southern Hydro) to develop 55 wind turbine generators at Wattle Point. It was to be Australia's largest wind farm development.
The Minister, Terry Roberts, determined that the whole of the Wattle Point Wind Farm development area was a significant Aboriginal cultural site and then authorized the damage and destruction of the site.
2 areas of archaeological significance within the Wattle Point development were going to be protected. We asked the Minister for wind turbines 2, 3, 4, & 5 to be moved across the road, away from the archaeological sites that were there, but our wishes were ignored. Southern Hydro went ahead and started developing wind turbines 2, 3, 4 & 5; with wind turbines 4 & 5 being constructed close to the edge of one of the archaeological sites.
I was site monitoring while the grader was removing the topsoil next to turbine 4, where the crane pad was going to be located. It was raining at the time and hard to see. After the weather cleared, the topsoil dried out and some of the sand blew away. We noticed a number of artefacts, so we asked the developer to stop work in the area. We had to ask the Minister's permission to screen the area for more artefacts.
On the second day of screening, in the sand where the grader had ripped through the topsoil and pushed it to one side, I discovered the arm bone of one of my ancestor's ancient skeletal remains. The grader had destroyed the ancient Aboriginal burial ground and smashed the skeletal remains that were buried there. As we looked further we found more bones, scattered and broken. I was shocked, upset and wild at Southern Hydro for smashing through our ancestor's burial grounds and angry with the government for allowing this to happen.
Before the development started we walked this area with the Minister. We told him that we wanted the turbines moved away from the archaeological sites, if development went ahead, but our wishes were ignored and now one of our ancestor's ancient burial grounds has been destroyed.
The Narrunga Nation Aboriginal Corporation (NNAC) have just signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the government, and they say that this will protect our heritage, but at the end of the day the Minister will still have the final say, so nothing will change. Aboriginal heritage, Australia's ancient heritage, will still get destroyed by development for money - approved by this state government.
It seems like common practice for this government and this Minister to have no respect for our cultural landscapes, grave sites and the knowledge we have of our own country. Why can't this state Labor government come to terms with the fact that just like any other ancient culture around the world, Australia's Aboriginal people have their own cultural heritage, beliefs and traditions and this part of their culture should be respected and preserved?
Today, 40,000 years of Aboriginal heritage and cultural landscapes continue to be swept clean of the land by development, and government decision makers with little or no understanding of Aboriginal culture and ineffective laws to supposedly protect Aboriginal heritage, are helping to destroy not protect Aboriginal heritage and culture.
Our ancient heritage is disappearing in front of my eyes. We are fighting developers, government and some of our own people, to save what is left of our heritage.
QUENTEN AGIUS
Direct descendant of the true traditional owners of Adjahdura Land (Yorke Peninsula, SA).
Head Monitor for the Narungga Heritage Committee (NHC)
Member of the Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation (NNAC)
Member of the Point Pearce Aboriginal community.
Board member of the Goreta Aboriginal Corporation.
Narungga Aboriginal Consultant.
Mobile: 0429367121
46 Maitland Rd,
Point Pearce SA 5570