Australian mega-coalmine dispute: "When we say no, we mean no"

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For more than six years now, Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners have protected their country against Adani, who want to take it and turn it into a giant coal mine.

"If the mine were to proceed it would tear the heart out of the land," say the W&J leaders, of their Traditional Country in the Galilee Basin. "The scale of this mine means it would have devastating impacts on our native title, ancestral lands and waters, our totemic plants and animals, and our environmental and cultural heritage.

"It would literally leave a huge black hole, monumental in proportions, where there were once our homelands. These effects are irreversible. Our land will be 'disappeared'."

Two weeks ago, the Federal Court ruled against W&J.

The court decision opens the door for the [Labor] Queensland government to extinguish W&J’s native title and give Adani freehold title to their land. This demonstrates the inbuilt injustice of Australia’s native title laws, which fail to protect the right of Traditional Owners to say no.

The Queensland government is now under immense pressure from Adani to extinguish W&J’s native title.

But the Palaszczuk Government has a choice. The Federal Court’s ruling in no way forces them to extinguish native title.

Tell Premier Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Trad to protect W&J’s native title.

Together we must show the Queensland government how many people stand with W&J as they defend their land rights and demand justice for First Nations people.

W&J have sacrificed a lot to resist the destruction of their land and culture. They’ve weathered significant financial and personal costs to take on Adani. But nothing could compare to the cost of losing their land to a coal company that will destroy their country forever.

"If Queensland can stop them dredging the reef before Adani has money, or pull the pin on $1 billion NAIF funding, they can surely protect our rights to our land. They must not hand a private corporation land title at our expense, based on discriminatory laws," says Adrian Burragubba, cultural leader and spokesperson for the W&J Traditional Owners Council.

Now more than ever, it’s time to stand together as a powerful movement in support of the rights of First Nations people. Extinguishing W&J’s native title to let a corporation build a mine would be morally bankrupt and we will not stand for it.

Pictured: Adani's mine would pollute and drain billions of litres of groundwater, risking the Doongmabulla Springs. This site is sacred to W&J and is estimated to be over one million years old. Photo: Ali Sanderson

Adrian says, "We share a serious goal in stopping Adani, but for us our fight is bigger. This campaign is a fight for the future of our people, our lands and waters, plants and animals and sacred sites, and the stories that connect us to our spiritual home.

We are campaigning to protect our country and culture, and exercise our rights and responsibilities to our land, water and people.

Ultimately our goals are to win not only on stopping the mine but on land rights and justice for Aboriginal people.

The Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council do not consent to the mine and our families never will.

We have voted four times against taking Adani’s shut up money, and against the destruction of our lands and waters, and our cultural heritage.

When we say no, we mean no."

W&J are not alone. The Australian Conservation Foundation stands with them. More than two million people belong to the groups who are part of the Stop Adani Alliance.

Our community is powerful. When we stood together to push the Queensland government on Adani, Premier Palaszczuk ruled out public money from NAIF going to Adani.

We need to demonstrate this power again. Extinguishing native title is irreversible and unjust, impacting people for generations.

We can’t let it happen.

Ask the Queensland Government not to extinguish W&J’s native title and to respect their rights. Tell them we stand in solidarity with W&J, and we are determined to see W&J’s lands, water and culture protected, and the future of our climate and environment safeguarded from this polluting mine.

Together we can stop Adani.

Christian

Christian Slattery
Stop Adani Campaigner

P.S. Email the Queensland Government today to protect W&J’s native title. Follow W&J on Facebook to stay up to date.

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