‘Three strikes you’re out’ – Traditional Owners reject Adani Carmichael mine for a third time
QLD Mines Minister Anthony Lynham must now step up and rule out issuing of mining leases
In a landmark moment of self-determination and a major blow to the Adani Carmichael coal mine, the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) people, traditional owners of the proposed mine site in QLD’s Galilee Basin, on the weekend voted for the third time to reject a land deal with Indian giant Adani for its proposed mega-mine.
W&J traditional owners came from all over Queensland to a meeting of the claim group and made it clear they will not be dictated to by a mining giant and manipulated by a complicit Government.
W&J traditional owner and spokesperson, Adrian Burragubba said, “Our people voted unanimously at an authorisation meeting to reject Adani’s repackaged deal, and to condemn them for falsely representing the position of the W&J people. We confirmed that no further negotiations with Adani will take place”.
The vote on Saturday follows two previous decisions of the majority to reject the Carmichael Mine, in 2012 and 2014, and heads off a third attempt by Adani to force a land use deal onto the W&J people.
If ever built, Adani’s massive mine, the biggest in Australian history and in the southern hemisphere, would leave a legacy of destruction and waste across W&J’s homelands and permanently damage their ancient spiritual connection to country. But the Traditional Owners have made it clear they reject Adani and their duplicitous ways.
“No longer will Adani and our Governments, and their backers in the media, get to dictate the terms of engagement. We decide for ourselves what we want to do and what we want for our future generations. We will not trade away our human rights for the false promises of a foreign-owned mining company,”, he said.
“Our people unambiguously refused any agreement with Adani to dig the Carmichael mine on our country. If they try to take our lands, or strong-arm us with their phoney compensation deals, we’ll see them in court.
“This is a milestone in the sorry tale of the proponents’ efforts to force this monstrosity of a mine on us. Three strikes, Adani, and you’re out. And our Governments better take notice too. Their discriminatory and coercive system for approving mining leases and administering native title, which denies us our rights, is being exposed.
“The W&J’s decision means the QLD government will finally have to face the dilemma of accepting that when we say no we mean no, or acquiring our land against our will, extinguishing or impairing our native title rights and interests. Will they steal our lands out from under us through compulsory acquisition, and hand foreign multibillionaire Adani a mining lease? This would be a despicable act that returns us to the ugly and brutal past of Queensland and Australian history,” said Mr Burragubba.
“We will not let the Queensland government hide behind a mining company and absolve itself of responsibility, as if they don’t hold the whip hand in the dismantling of our rights.
W&J traditional owner and spokesperson Murrawah Johnson said, “Last week, we had the contemptible spectacle of QLD Mines Minister Anthony Lynham, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and Environment Minister Steven Miles sitting in our Parliament and gutlessly backing a bipartisan motion to develop the Adani mine.
“Now, the only responsible course of action left to Mines Minister Anthony Lynham is to rule out issuing mining leases for Carmichael. Our internationally recognised legal rights include the right to free, prior and informed consent – we have not given our consent and we will not be bullied into giving it”.
“If Adani and its backers in government persist in their efforts to impose this mine without our consent, we will challenge this country’s failed native title regime. We will stand against the Queensland and Federal government’s neglect. And we will reserve our right to take action against Adani for its continual interference in our affairs, its attempts to throw its power and money around to buy off and dupe our people, and its devious efforts to engineer an agreement that crushes our rights and interests”, said Ms Johnson.
“In the Federal Court, we have already exposed Adani’s fraudulent claims that their travesty would create 10,000 jobs. Adani was forced to admit that if their mine was ever built the real figure would be around 1400”, Adrian Burragubba said. “But these aren’t real jobs. There is no mine, and their offer is hollow.
“Colour brochures full of empty promises and inducements to sign deals are insulting. They will never gain our consent to the permanent and irreversible destruction of our homelands, and the violation of our connection to country from time immemorial. We deserve better than being thrown the bait of a few poorly paid jobs in a dirty coal pit or driving buses – while Adani hopes to rake in billions of dollars.
“On any account, the supposed ‘benefits’ of this coal mine, employment, financial or otherwise, do not justify its broadscale destruction – of our sacred land, waterways, totemic trees and animals and of the climate, which will affect all peoples of the world. There is no reasonable case for it to go ahead on any grounds.
“The big investment banks, which have already deserted the project in droves, can see that. The top financial analysts, who say this project is a dud and unbankable, can see that. The community, who are backing us in their hundreds of thousands, can see that”, Mr Burragubba said.
Murrawah Johnson said, “Our people and our country will not be “disappeared” by a foreign coal giant working through its lapdogs in our federal and state governments, and putting a glossy face on a diabolical project.
“We are bigger than that. We are staying strong together. It is our responsibility to nurture our future generations as we have done for millennia past. Our people have spoken. Adani, the QLD government, and its counterparts in the federal government have been told. We’ve said it loud and clear, and once and for all: ‘When we say no, we mean no’.”
For comment:
W&J traditional owners and spokespeople
Adrian Burragubba 0428 949 115
Murrawah Johnson 0439 919 891
For background:
Anthony Esposito 0418 152 743