Activists from Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance gathered on 8 February at the office of Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg to oppose the approval of three uranium mines in Western Australia. Proposed uranium projects at Yeelirrie, Mulga Rock and Wiluna were recently given State approval in Western Australia and all three are now on the desk of Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg awaiting a federal decision. Many requests have been made to Western Australian environment minister, Albert Jacobs, to come and sit on Country and talk with Traditional Owners. The Minister has not visited these communities and has recently just given approval for all three of these projects, including the Yeelirrie uranium project, against the recommendation of the government’s Environmental Protection Authority.
There is no bipartisan support for uranium mining in Western Australia and
Minister Frydenberg needs to stop the clock on the process, come to Western
Australia and get out on Country to talk with the Traditional Owners.
The uranium project at Yeelirrie has been opposed by Traditional owners for more
than 40 years and those communities applauded the EPA’s recommendation to not approve Yeelirrie. This was quickly ignored by
Minister Jacobs and approval was recently given.
Vicky Mc Cabe, the WA Co-Chair of the Australia Nuclear Free Alliance, whose
country is under threat at Yeelirrie, travelled to Melbourne this week to seek
support.
Vicky stated, “Growing up you would hear all the great stories from our elders
of life at Yeelirrie station and the good relations between the white lease
holders and our mob. Sadly since the mining industry has gotten hold of the
land we are excluded from the country and our country is being destroyed, where
once it was enjoyed and cared for.”
“Our opposition to the mine is strong and with the help of our friends from
Australia and overseas we are making a stand for country, culture and a uranium
free world. There is no way that Cameco will be digging up our country.”
Jim
Green
"Australia must join UN negotiations to ban nuclear weapons"
Petition for Australia to attend and support negotiations for nuclear disarmament
Dear Supporters, at a time of great global instability and tension, it's more important than ever to support efforts to eliminate the nuclear threat. Next month,
negotiations will begin at the United Nations on a treaty outlawing nuclear weapons.
The United States, which possesses approximately 6,800 nuclear weapons, has voiced its strong opposition to these negotiations. It's urging allies, including Australia, not to participate.
But Australia, as a sovereign nation, should decide for itself whether to join this historic process. The government should listen to its people, not take orders from the Trump administration.
Here are two important ways that you can put pressure on the Australian government to participate:
*1. SIGN OUR PETITION TO THE FOREIGN MINISTER:*
*2. CALL THE FOREIGN MINISTER'S OFFICE:*
*Hon Julie Bishop MP, Foreign Minister (02) 6277 7500 (Canberra) (08) 9388
0288 (Perth)*
Ask whether Australia will participate in the UN negotiations on a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, which are set begin on 27 March. Explain why you believe it's so crucial that we take part.
Australia has joined treaties banning chemical weapons, biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions. Now it must help negotiate a ban on nuclear weapons.
21 Nobel peace prize winners, including the Dalai Lama and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, have urged governments to join the negotiations. Australia must heed their call!
Kind regards,
Tim and Gem
*Our mailing address is:*
ICAN Australia, PO Box 1379, Carlton VIC 3053
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons- Australia
www.icanw.org/au
gem@icanw.org
0421 955 066
Australia's uranium ranking
https://www.google.de/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Australia%27s+uranium+ranking
Reef-destroying coal mine
Traditional owners, Adani back in court over proposed Galilee Basin coal mine
"Traditional owners are taking Adani back to court over its proposed coal mine in central Queensland, demanding that the company withdraw what they say is a "fake" Indigenous Land Use Agreement.
"The Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council will on Monday ask
the Federal Court in Brisbane to strike out the agreement that helps paves the way
for the Indian mining giant's mine in the Galilee Basin. ... "
W&J resist industry push for amended Native Title Act to secure Carmichael mine proposal
"Members of the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners Council will on Monday
ask the Federal Court to knock out Adani’s claim that it has the consent of the W&J Traditional Owners
or its proposed Carmichael mine, calling it is a sham agreement which Adani engineered
through rent-a-crowds, dishonest tactics and attempts to exclude their voices.
"The W&J Council say any attempt by the Federal government to do the bidding of Adani
and the mining industry to engineer an amendment to Native Title laws,
will be vigorously challenged by them and other Traditional Owner groups and supporters.
"Spokesperson for W&J Traditional Owner Council, Mr. Adrian Burragubba, says,
“The document Adani is trying to pass off as an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with our people is illegitimate.
We launched action last year to defeat this dodgy deal and we are now taking decisive action
in the Federal Court to have this fake agreement struck out”. [Details of the legal action are set out below.] ...
"W&J youth leader and Council spokesperson, Ms. Murrawah Johnson, says,
“In April last year, there was a meeting organised and paid for by Adani,
at a cost estimated to be in excess of half a million dollars.
Adani paid for Aboriginal people to attend who had never claimed
native title on Wangan and Jagalingou traditional country.
There were hundreds of people who aren’t direct descendents of our W&J ancestors in attendance,
to sign up to an ILUA. This meeting was a sham, stacked with a rent a crowd. ...
"Lawyer for the ILUA objection and other matters, Mr. Colin Hardie, says,
“Adani and the mining industry are trying to manufacture a sense of crisis
around the Federal Court Noongar decision, and appear desperate to force the
Federal government to rush through changes to the Native Title Act to suit their interests. ... "
Letter Sent by JustUs lawyers
on behalf of the objecting
Registered Native Title Claimants
for W&J to Adani’s lawyer
in the matter of the Carmichael Mine ILUA
http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/wj-council-acts-on-adanis-invalid-indigenous-land-use-agreement/
"Dear Colleague
"Re Adani Mining Pty Ltd- Application for registration of Wangan and Jagalingou ILUA-QI2016/15 (“the Adani ILUA”)
"We refer to our clients’ Notice of objection to registration of the ILUA where it was submitted as follows:
"“Five of the Twelve of the Registered Native Title Claimants (“RNTC”) for the Native Title Claim have refused to sign the ILUA.
This cannot be portrayed as an action designed to hold out against the wishes of the claim group of the Native Title Claim.
It has been sanctioned by a sizable section of the claim group at two authorisation meeting.
While the decision of Reeves J in Bygrave No2 is authority for the proposition that the applicant has
no role in the process of authorising an ILUA (except for lending its name),
this decision is being challenged in a proceeding filed in the High Court.
We are further advised that the matter was remitted to the Full Court of the Federal Court.
A copy of the Application to show cause is included in Attachment 6.
It is submitted that a decision should not be made to register the ILUA
until all the persons who constitute the RNTC have signed the ILUA
or the challenge to ratio decidendi of Bygrave No2 is dismissed.” ...
"Should you have any questions in relation to this matter please do not hesitate to contact our office.
"Yours faithfully,
"Colin Hardie
"JUST US LAWYERS"
No surrender – Traditional Owners move to defeat Adani’s ‘fake ILUA’
Wangan & Jagalingou
http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/no-surrender-traditional-owners-move-to-defeat-adanis-fake-ilua/
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/wgar-news/5bKzSst9RCw
7 February 2017
Traditional Owners act to defeat Adani’s invalid Indigenous Land Use Agreement in the wake of Noongar ruling
W&J Council will seek a declaration to knock out ‘fake ILUA’
"Lawyers for the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners Council have today written to Adani
demanding it withdraw its application to have an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA)
for its proposed Carmichael mine registered by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT).
Should Adani refuse, a declaration will be sought in the Federal Court to have the ILUA struck out.
See the Letter. http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/wj-council-acts-on-adanis-invalid-indigenous-land-use-agreement/
"Members of the W&J Council lodged a formal objection last year to the purported ILUA.
The NNTT was due to make its decision this Friday, however the Federal Court in the matter of
McGlade v Native Title Registrar [2017] throws doubt on whether Adani’s agreement is a valid ILUA.
Traditional Owners condemn ‘Adani amendment’ to Native Title Act
Traditional Owners condemn Brandis’ ‘Adani Amendment’ to Native Title Act as a con on the public
February 13, 2017
Members of the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners Council today condemned the Turnbull government for pandering to the interests of Indian miner Adani and the wealthy mining industry at the expense of the rights of Traditional Owners, by proposing rushed and ill-considered amendments to the Native Title Act. The W&J Council has called on Federal Labor not to roll over and support this unjust and premature manoeuvre by the Government.
Spokesperson for W&J Traditional Owner Council, Mr. Adrian Burragubba, says, “As always, the Liberal and National Parties will look for any means to override our rights and pander to their mates in the resources sector. Today they announced fast-tracked, knee-jerk amendments to the Native Title Act in an attempt to grease the wheels for the controversial Carmichael mine proposal, over our persistent objections and our rights.
“It’s clear Turnbull is willing to ride roughshod over Indigenous land rights for the sake of Adani and this dirty project. This move is a con on the public and part of a manufactured crisis. There is no commercial uncertainty. There is no wholesale threat to Indigenous Land Use Agreements and business interests in the country.
“We know this is all about Adani and that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is in the pocket of Indian billionaire Adani and the mining lobby. Turnbull is blind to Indigenous communities’ right to say ‘no’ to projects which will destroy our lands, waters and culture. These amendments, designed to head off our legal actions because Adani was losing, won’t stop us.
“The registration of Adani’s sham land use agreement is not being held up because of the decision in Western Australia this month. It’s being challenged by us because it was engineered through rent-a-crowds, deceit and dishonest tactics. We will continue our action in the Federal Court to have it struck out, regardless of what dodgy deals are tried on in Canberra to prevent justice.
“The Labor Opposition should make a stand for proper consideration of Native Title reform and not be railroaded by the mining lobby and the coal-obsessed Liberal and National Parties.
“We call on Labor to see this ‘Adani amendment’ for what it is – a response to a political panic created by the head of the Queensland Resources Council, Ian MacFarlane, in the wake of a court decision, because plans for Adani’s proposed mine are unravelling. Labor should do the decent thing and block this move before it gets going.
“The Native Title system needs an overhaul for failing to give due consideration to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Any reform should involve full consultation, not occur in a piecemeal and chaotic way because of a panic generated by the mining industry,” Mr Burragubba said.
For information & to arrange interviews: Anthony Esposito, W&J Council advisor – 0418 152 743