Gomeroi people have spent the past two days protesting at what they claim has been a lack of consultation with Whitehaven about cultural and heritage concerns, following Thursday’s announcement by the coal company that its $767 million Maules Creek open cut coal mine had been given final approval by the federal government.
Around 50 members of the Indigenous community, who live in areas including Tamworth, Gunnedah, Newcastle and Maitland, this morning gathered at Vickery Park for a second day of protest, across the road from Whitehaven’s office.
They claim Whitehaven hasn’t done enough in its Cultural Heritage Management Plan to preserve cultural artefacts.
Protesters this morning burnt the plan in a fire.
“The whole site should be re-surveyed, it wasn’t surveyed properly, there are 4000 hectares and they have covered 0.5 per cent of the total area,” said protester and Gomeroi
traditional owner Stephen Talbot. “You don’t play football on half the field, this management plan does nothing for the cultural and heritage concerns of the community.”
Protester Dolly Talbot said the group received a letter from Whitehaven yesterday offering to set up a meeting, which they hope to organise for tomorrow afternoon.
In a statement to The Courier, Whitehaven said it hopes to meet with the group as soon as possible.
“Whitehaven awaits a positive response from the representative of the groups,” the spokesperson said. “We wish to discuss the concerns raised today on a direct basis with those who have raised them in order for the management of Aboriginal cultural heritage items at the site to continue on an agreed basis.”
The protests by the Indigenous community also follow concerns by some district residents.
“The beautiful Maules Creek valley will be consumed by the big black hole, never to be returned to its former self,” said resident Roselyn Druce, in today’s Letter to the Editor section, page 6.
The Maules Creek mine has been the target of a strong campaign of opposition from sections of the Maules Creek community, environmental groups and others.
In a joint press release, Lock the Gate Alliance campaign co-ordinator Carmel Flint and Northern Inland Council for the Environment spokesperson Phil Spark condemned the mine approval.
“Environmentally, this coal mine is the worst of the worst, clearing 4500 acres of a biodiversity hotspot, raining dangerous coal dust on the local community and producing more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 individual nations,” claimed Mr Spark.
“An ongoing federal inquiry relates to questions about the validity of the offset properties that have been purchased by Whitehaven that are supposed to compensate for the important stands of critically endangered ecosystems which they plan to destroy in Leard State Forest,” said Ms Flint.
The mine, which will now get underway, has been subject to years of delay while approvals have been sought from state and federal governments.
Initial site preparation; including fencing, storage and access roads will commence this week.
The contract for the design and construction of the rail infrastructure is in the final stages of negotiation.
The Maules Creek rail spur and loop comprises a common section of 7.9 kilometres to be shared with Boggabri Coal and 11.9 kilometres for the Maules Creek section.
Construction of the rail spur and loop is expected to start in August, with an approximate 12-month build time with all the other infrastructure completed within that time.