BURRUP FERTILISER PLANT SCRUTINY CONTINUES
BY GERARD MAZZA
Tootsie Daniel called for the Perdaman urea facility to be moved to the Maitland Industrial Estate at a press conference in Fremantle yesterday. Source: Supplied.
A Yindjibarndi Elder has called for the $4.5 billion fertiliser plant planned for Murujuga, the Burrup Peninsula to be moved to a nearby estate earmarked for industrial use.
Yesterday, Murujuga Circle of Elders member Tootsie Daniel held a press conference outside Fremantle Hospital, where she called for the company Perdaman to move their urea plant to the Maitland Estate, 20 kilometres from the Burrup.
“That’s where everything’s all clear, there’s nothing there to be worried about,” Ms Daniel said.
“We don’t want it near the land or the sea where there’s sites.”
Last week, Perdaman Chairman Vikas Rambal told the ABC his facility had to be built on the Burrup near existing industry to be economically competitive.
When first announcing the project in 2009, Perdaman planned for it to be built in Collie in the South West.
In 2018, Perdaman announced the project would relocate to the Burrup.
Last week, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected applications to protect three rock art sites from being removed to make way for the Perdaman plant.
Yesterday, Greens leader Adam Bandt said Ms Plibersek has serious questions to answer.
“The Environment Minister said she would give this project the green light on the basis that the traditional owners had agreed,” he said.
“There is now very clear evidence that the Minister was told that the traditional owners do not agree to the relocation of the rock art in the Burrup.”
“In fact, they made the point several times that they did not want it move, and they only agreed, according to their letter, under duress when they were told it was going to be moved anyway and it was up to them to choose the site it was going to be moved to.”
Last week, Ms Plibersek said she was satisfied consent had been obtained for the rock art removals.
“The Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, which is the legally constituted and democratically elected Aboriginal organisation, which represents the five traditional owners of the land, have agreed that a number of these rock carvings can be moved safely,” she said.