EAST AND WEST COAST CUSTODIANS 'STANDING IN UNITY' TO SAVE MURUJUGA

Gadigal Elder Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor with Murujuga Traditional Custodians. Credit: Save Our Songlines

Save Our Songlines launched an east coast campaign with Gadigal traditional custodians to protect Murujuga sacred rock art outside the Sydney office of the Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek yesterday.

Murujuga, the Burrup Peninsula is a recently world-heritage nominated site for its sacred rock art with over one million petroglyphs and cultural significance to Indigenous Australians.

Murujuga custodians flew to the east coast to come together with Gadigal and surrounding local custodians to protect the sacred Murujuga rock art from Woodside’s Burrup Hub gas expansions at the Burrup Peninsula.

Murujuga custodian Raelene Cooper said that the different mobs shared stories of similar experiences.

“It’s about standing in solidarity, standing in unity,” she said. “This is a war and a fight that our people have been accustomed to and have learnt through colonisation for so many years and we can see it here.”

“It was a fantastic meeting with them. A lot of knowledge and a lot of information was being shared about our concerns for the country mob on this side and also for the concerns of us over in the Pilbara and the Western Australia area.”

Gadigal Elder Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor demanded Minister Plibersek's acts now.

“When you destroy these sacred areas, you destroy Aboriginal culture. You have no idea of the value of that culture. Right across the continent Aboriginal people are all connected and we all feel the pain,” she said.

“These sacred areas, like the incredible artwork that has been there for over 80,000 years. These are our churches and cathedrals.

“We demand Minister Plibersek act now to stop the gas industry and protect these sacred places.”

Minister Plibersek will shortly be making decisions under Australian environment and cultural heritage protection laws that will determine whether Woodside’s industrial expansion plans, including the Scarborough and Browse Basin gas projects, can proceed on Murujuga.

Following the launch, Murujuga traditional custodians were invited to speak at the Sydney School Strike 4 Climate rally today.