Murujuga traditional custodians call out ‘gag clause’ in WA government industrial agreement and demand pause on new industrial developments including Scarborough
Murujuga Elders and Traditional Custodians will attend WA Parliament this morning to deliver an open letter to the WA government and later meet with Woodside representatives to request an immediate pause on all industrial development on Murujuga (the Burrup Peninsula) until adequate consultation occurs.
The letter to the WA government and Woodside shareholders is signed by more than two dozen custodians of Murujuga, including Elders, cultural advisors and the current and former chairperson of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC). MAC represents the five language groups with custodianship of the Burrup Peninsula - also known as Murujuga - where big polluters, heavy industry and globally significant cultural heritage sites coexist precariously.
A delegation of signatories will meet MPs this morning to present their concerns about inadequate industry consultation due to a ‘gag clause’ in the Burrup and Maitland Estates Industrial Agreement (BMIEA), created by the WA state government in 2003.
The letter (attached and available here) explains that Murujuga is home to ancient songlines and more than one million sacred rock carvings that Traditional Custodians have a responsibility to protect.
“Woodside’s gas developments on Murujuga have already destroyed or damaged many sacred sites and thousands of ancient rock carvings left by our ancestors,” the letter reads, in part. “Today, these projects continue to release pollution which is damaging the rock art.”
The letter goes on to explain that past attempts of Traditional Custodians to speak out about these developments were prevented by gag clauses placed on them by state government agreements while their “sacred lands were forcibly acquired.”
The traditional custodians of Murujuga, which is nominated for UNESCO world heritage listing, state that “the Scarborough development continues this past injustice, and will further damage our environment and cultural heritage.”
The letter concludes with requests to Woodside investors, shareholders and commercial partners to withhold further investment in the planned Scarborough gas project for as long as Murujuga Traditional Owners are prevented from speaking out, and denied access to the necessary information to make informed decisions about their country.
The letter finally calls on the WA government and Premier Mark McGowan - who has publicly backed Woodside and the Scarborough proposal - to immediately remove gag clauses in state agreements and ensure independent funding for the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation rather than forcing them to rely on industry.
The letter requests the government pause any further approvals for Scarborough and the related Perdaman project until proper consultation can occur.