Broome Community are locking Woodside and their Contractors Out Of Country.

Why the Broome Community is locking Woodside and their Contractors

Out Of Country.

1. We, the Broome Community are;

Ø Standing with the Indigenous People who are standing up and protecting their: Law, Culture, Heritage and Country. We assert the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Article 10 Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.

Article 25 Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.

2. On Thursday the 9^th and Friday 10^th of June, Joseph Roe, met with departmental executives from the Department of Indigenous Affairs office in Broome with footage and GPS maps proving that extensive and totally unacceptable destruction has already occurred on and within Aboriginal Heritage registered and non- registered Sites in the course of Woodside’s preliminary on-ground works. Two DIA representatives were taken into Country and Phillip Roe walked them through Country showing the damage. That there is already significant damage at this early stage does not bode well for respect for cultural heritage once actual construction, and later gas plant operation begins.

Ø We are insisting that the Department of Indigenous Affairs use its powers under the Aboriginal Heritage Act to issue a “cease-work order” immediately as this is the standard first response to allegations of damage to Aboriginal registered Heritage Sites.

3. We are requesting Federal Environment Minister, the Hon Tony Burke exercise his powers under ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 - SECT 70

Under this legislation, the Minister may request referral of proposal :

(1) If the Minister believes a person proposes to take an action that the Minister thinks may be or is a controlled action, the Minister may request:

(a) the person; or

(b) a State, self-governing Territory or agency of a State or self-governing Territory that the Minister believes has administrative responsibilities relating to the action;

to refer the proposal to the Minister within 15 business days or a longer period agreed by the Minister and the requested person, State, Territory or agency (as appropriate).

SECT 18

Actions with significant impact on listed threatened species or endangered community prohibited without approval

Species that are extinct in the wild

(1) A person must not take an action that:

(a) has or will have a significant impact on a listed threatened species included in the extinct in the wild category; or

(b) is likely to have a significant impact on a listed threatened species included in the extinct in the wild category.

SECT 18A

Offences relating to threatened species etc.

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:

(a) the person takes an action; and

(b) the action results or will result in a significant impact on:

(i) a species; or

(ii) an ecological community; and

(c) the species is a listed threatened species, or the community is a listed threatened ecological community.

4. The Australian Heritage Council has recommended to the Minister for Environment that this coastline, earmarked for the proposed Kimberley gas hub, be declared a national heritage site. In its final report to the Government, the Australian Heritage Council expanded the recommended boundary to include Dampier Peninsula.

Ø We are calling on Commonwealth Government to declare the 20-million hectares of the West Kimberley a national heritage area as soon as possible in order to have this coastal strip protected under the National Heritage Act.

5. We are only prepared to negotiate the safe removal of all Woodside’s equipment currently in Country, without delay.