TORRES STRAIT TRADITIONAL OWNERS’ BID FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE

Traditional Owners Torres Strait Uncle Paul Kabai (Left) with Uncle Pabai (Supplied)

BY ASAD KHAN

The legal team representing Torres Strait Traditional Owners gave a closing argument last month in Cairns in a last bid to save their homelands and culture from climate disaster. 

Climate change is already causing sea levels to rise and more intense storms are frequently witnessed by Torres Strait people making them Australia’s first climate change refugees. 

If successful the case has the potential to force the Federal Government to reduce emissions and stop new fossil fuel projects rapidly.

In court, Traditional Owner Uncle Paul Kabai’s legal team argued the government has failed to protect them from climate harm.

Uncle Paul said our message to the government is we can’t wait any more years for climate action to stop our islands from going underwater.

“The point is our islands are sinking as we all know, the sea level is rising and erosions the problem,

“Rising sea levels destroy the garden area and because Sabai Island is a muddy platform island there is river illness all around the island, so everybody is exposed to salt water.”

He said the graves of his ancestors have also been damaged by erosion and something has to be done otherwise it will be too late.

Commonwealth’s legal team defended the current climate policies denying owing a duty of care to protect from climate harm.

A decision is expected to be handed down later this year.

Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Lead Journalist Asad Khan speak with the Traditional Owner of Torres Strait Islands Uncle Paul Kabai: