Interviews transcribed

As promised the interviews with

Kevin George ( Kevin George speaking at Djarindjin 13 November 2008),

Mary Kitchener, Jackie McKenzie (The Tower Story 13 November 2008) ,

Elsta Foy, Phillip Sibosado, David Dureau and Kathleen Cox (Summary of the Northern Development Taskforce meetings 12 November 2008)

have been transcribed and now included at each post. Thanks HJ for your help, Redhand.

Hands off country and speak out for the Kimberley and the Planet.

Northern Development Taskforce meeting at Middle Lagoon.

Gail McGowan and Duncan Ord representing the Northern Development Taskforce met with community people and visitors at Middle Lagoon, on the Dampier Peninsula on Tuesday 11th November, 2008.

Marty Sibosado spoke about law, heritage, the KLC and about the need for informed decision making.

The video is about 10 minutes long and split into two parts.
Part 1

Middle Lagoon part 2

No public notice for Dampier Peninsula Northern Development Taskforce meetings.

Redhand queries why there was NO PUBLIC NOTICE of the public meetings held by the Northern Development Taskforce representatives at Beagle Bay, Middle Lagoon, Lombadina and Djarindjin on the Dampier Peninsula last week 10th and 11th November, 2008? Why was the Broome public meeting the only one that was advertised?

Notice that it is advertised as an LNG precinct not a gas hub.

photo: Broome, Northern Development Taskforce Public Meeting notice in the 6th November, 2008 edition of the Broome Advertiser.

Northern Development Taskforce at Middle Lagoon Meeting

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In a more than perfect Kimberley lagoon getaway setting, in warm tropical weather, sheltered by the cooling shade of fruiting mango trees and flowering natives, NDT representatives, tried to convince the meeting at Middle Lagoon, that a LNG gas hub would sit very nicely on the horizon.

More Spin, Twists,Turns and Trouble Than a Drilling Rig!

For the first time since the change of government and Colin Barnett's announcement of his preferred gas hub site at North Head and his threat of compulsary acquisition, the NDT made their first attempt at contacting the people these decisions directly affect.

The agenda item of these meetings at Beagle Bay,Middle Lagoon,Lombadina and Djaradjin was not to talk or listen to people as the NDT claimed today, but was to inform the people that a drilling rig was coming to take 40 drilling samples and that it must be completed before the 2008 wetseason.This was confirmed in their own pamphlet The Gas Project in the Kimberley which was distributed only at the Middle Lagoon Meeting and was not offered to blockaders in Beagle Bay.

Permission was not granted by the people for this drilling to take place because the NDT representatives never directly asked. People made it very clear that the messages THEY want the Premier to hear is that they feel sidelined by both the original consultation process and the Premier's compulsary acquistion threats.These threats were still being vocalised today by the Premier whilst the NDT representatives were in country trying to convince people that this wasn't the governments intention and that proper consultation processes and protocols would be maintained.So what is the Truth?.

It is Blueyes opinion that the government is pushing for North Head because it is not encumbered by Native Title and is taking advantage of its current Aboriginal Reserve status even though the Reserve status is soley for the use and benefit of Aboriginal people.

It is another sad and sorry day when the Premier of Western Australia refuses to meet with the Dampier Peninsula people, especially in this historic year when our Prime Minister apologised on behalf of the Nation for past wrongs.Why is it that the premier has time to fly over North Head and meet his Liberal party friends at the Surf Club in Broome but did not take the time to meet the very people he plans to dispossess of their Land, their Rights, their Heritage and Dignity.

Hands Off Country and Stand up for the Planet!

Rumoured meetings

Is the Northern Development Taskforce planning to meet in Beagle Bay and at Middle Lagoon next week?

If so:
When and where?

Who is the Northern Development Taskforce meeting with?

What is the purpose and the agenda of these meetings?

Are any approvals being sought for drilling or other access?

Are all of the relevant stakeholders being invited including Beagle Bay Community, Leaseholders, Aboriginal Lands Trust, Kimberley Land Council, Native Title Claimants, Traditional Owners, Department of Indigenous Affairs, Department of Environment and Conservation, Indigenous Co ordination Centre, and the Broome Shire?

What is the Department of Indigenous Affairs’ role in these meetings?

What is the Department of Environment and Conservation’s role in these meetings?

Are these open meetings?
and
What is the relationship between these meetings and the Northern Development Taskforce Site Evaluation reports’ request for public comment closing 5.00pm Tuesday 11th November?
Photo: looking south towards North Head.

INTERVIEW JO AND BILLY MACKIE

http://youtu.be/ChJ0K_VP1rU

We found Jo and Bill Mackie from Rosewood in Queensland camping at Middle Lagoon. This is their first visit to the Kimberley. We talk to them about a potential gas plant on Dampier Peninsula.

- INTERVIEW TEXT -Date & Location : Saturday 20 October 2008, 4.22pm, Middle Lagoon - Dampier Peninsula - Western Australia
INTERVIEW BILLY AND JO MACKIE
INTERVIEWER Good morning and thanks for agreeing to talk with us. And I’m just inquiring what your names are and where you’re from?
JO MACKIE We’re Billy and Jo Mackie and we’re from Rosewood which is between Brisbane and Toowoomba in Queensland.
INTERVIEWER Fantastic. Have you been to the Kimberleys before?
JO MACKIE No, this is our first time.
INTERVIEWER What do you think of the Dampier Peninsula?
JO MACKIE It’s beautiful. We were saying that we have been on the Queensland coastline, this is far more beautiful. It’s not as touristy. Doesn’t seem to be as developed as much. So it’s just beautiful, it’s just natural.
INTERVIEWER Do you understand that the State Government is proposing a site about 10 kilometres from here to build a LNG gas processing plant?
JO MACKIE Yeah
INTERVIEWER How do you think that will affect the tourism industry or how will it affect local communities along this coast?
JO MACKIE I think it will be a real shame to see something like that put in such a beautiful natural spot like this. To having something sticking up in the sky there, places. I just think it would ruin it. It really would.
INTERVIEWER Are you aware that this area is very famous as a whale nursery
BILLY MACKIE I never. We weren’t aware of that
INTERVIEWER It’s a major nursery breeding ground, for whales, humpback whales and you can actually see that on kimberleywhales.com
BILLY MACKIE Alright
JO MACKIE Ok
INTERVIEWER The processing plant, how do you think that’s going to affect the environment?
BILLY MACKIE It will be really bad for the environment
JO MACKIE Yeah
BILLY MACKIE I mean, even like these big conglomerates and all this say they never pollute the environment but you can see it already is everywhere in the world where they have a lot of pollution pipelines going out into the sea even influence seeping out into the sea and things like that even though they say that they never pollute. I always think that they always will you know. It’s all hush hush. It’s really bad for the environment. Yeah. Especially a beautiful place like this. Like now. You know. Yeah.
INTERVIEWER And as far as global warming goes, how do you think, do you think that this gas plant is the answer to global warming? They’re saying that gas is cleaner.
JO MACKIE Definitely not. I don’t think. I think anything else would contribute to global warming it’s still going to contribute, it’s not going to take away the problem that’s there at the moment..
INTERVIEWER And would you like to come back to the Kimberleys?
JO MACKIE Yes, definitely
BILLY MACKIE Yes, definitely
INTERVIEWER And if you did come back how would you like to find it?
JO MACKIE Still the same as it. Unspoilt and you know, clean. Yeah.