Brighton Bypass

20 May 2011 | 0:00 - By

Josh Ridgeway on infrastructure v heritage

Josh Brighton_1091061977

Video journalist Josh Ridgeway in Brighton

Since the days of initial contact between Europeans and First Australians, the issue of ‘occupation of land’ either by settlement or invasion, has been taken in ways that by today’s standards many might consider immoral, perhaps illegal.

Only in recent years have we seen a significant shift in attitudes towards truly recognising, appreciating, acknowledging and preserving the unique history that makes up Australia.

On a personal note, just three years ago the sand dunes and rainforests of my ancestors, the Worimi people from Port Stephens on the North-East NSW Coast were handed back to my people. And just late last year the Queensland Government followed suit, symbolically returning 1600 hectares of land to the Mona Mona following decades of negotiation. And who can look past one of this country’s most important symbolic events in 1975 when then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured the local sand into Vincent Lingiari’s hands and gave back Wave Hill Station to the Gurindji.

Fast forward to today and to Brighton, a half hour drive north of Hobart. Having just returned from a trip to Kutalayna (the Indigenous communities’ name for the area), it’s hard for me to imagine and understand the depths of reasoning behind the bypass currently under construction there.

Looking past the initial questions of proper process, major party factions and the hurt and sadness now experienced by the wider Palawa community, if anything this long episode has raised the biggest conundrum of them all:  accountability.

Why is it in the twenty-first century that, despite a Federal Government commitment to closing the gap, achieving reconciliation and goodwill towards Indigenous Australians, we are still struggling to retain stolen wages, still experiencing high rates of deaths in custody and incarceration, and blanket policies (albeit with what the government of the day believed to be good intentions) designed and designated purely on the basis of race?

I put it to you: who is responsible for building a bridge over sacred heritage without a proper cultural heritage management plan in place BEFORE construction, and have they been held to account for their actions?

In the case of Brighton, I spoke with all major parties and the Aboriginal community and everyone agrees proper process was not followed. However in order to save what can be argued as one of the greatest finds this country, nay the world, has seen in many a decade - why is it a matter of money?

When did we value infrastructure that will save eight minutes of driving time over what archaeologists believe to be the most extensive and best preserved evidence of human existence in Tasmania?

Sure, it might take millions more dollars to un-build the construction and many more years to re-plan, negotiate and construct an alternate route.

Call me a cat crying over split milk, but from what I understand, money can be easily replaced. Our heritage can’t.

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31 May 2011 11:13 AEST

Rose

From: Tasmania

hand, heart, home

The earth shakes but spirit cannot be crushed. Kunanyi/Mt Wellington watching over kutalayna site as this heartbreak takes place. It does not matter that I'm of early settler/european descent I am mourning and crying with you for Tasmania. A deep learning and Sorry is not enough. Keep up the volume so the World can hear of this!

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28 May 2011 23:23 AEST

Dr Tim Stone

From: Sydney

Brighton Bypass

Sorry Geoff of Launceston, I did the dating with my colleague Dr Matt Cupper at the Melbourne Uni OSL dating laboratory. The data is irrefutable that the Jordan River levee site is at least 42,000 years old. Your spin on proceedings makes you a perfect candidate for employment with DIER. You'll be thrilled with the nice, white robe and matching hat, not to mention warm welcome, you'll get on your first day...err.. night. Go on Geoff, show us what cultural links are really all about.

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27 May 2011 11:20 AEST

Geoff

From: Launceston

Brighton Bypass

What an absolute load of rubbish. Do some research before you start parroting unsubstantiated claims about the Jordan River levee site at Brighton. There is NO concrete evidence that it is 42 000 years old. That is Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre propaganda and following to the letter the dogma of Vladimir Lenin who said íf you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth'.' The TAC do not speak for all Aboriginal Tasmanian's and certainly have no cultural links to the site.

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22 May 2011 20:06 AEST

Belinda Curtis

From: Tasmania

Injustices need recognition from our history to fix the future.

The day that the Colonial Governments ask permission from the aboriginal community to add infrastructure to the land or acquire land and recognise that they have only been here 2 centuries as apposed to 42,000 years will be a great day. As we take but decades to destroy our planet, indiginous people and people of the land have successfully lived in peace for thousands of years. People must recognise that we have much more to learn from these people than to teach them. Protect it before it's lost

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22 May 2011 20:00 AEST

Belinda Curtis

From: Tasmania

Great Job Josh

You presented this beautifully, thank you. Now we just hope there is a public inquiry into what has occurred. The injustices that western cultures inflict upon indigenous people all over the world, because they feel what they wish for is more important than the wishes of others is totally abhorrent.

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22 May 2011 19:26 AEST

Belinda Curtis

From: Tasmania

Kutalayna Camp

I am a strong supporter of Aboriginal rights, Land Protection, Environmental Protection & Sustainability and Human Rights. I have been a camper at the Bypass protest. I am disheartened to think that people do not see the significance in protecting this land, that people do not see the story that for 42,000 years has been kept alive here. I am often ashamed to be a white person. My heart is with the land and the people whom live with it, not against it. This story will be lost if not protected.

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22 May 2011 17:08 AEST

Diane Caney

From: Hobart

Brighton Bypass

I am deeply ashamed that non-Palawa Tasmanians have shown such disrespect to the traditional owners of this group of islands called Tasmania. Hearts and souls have been crushed, and that is the worst thing. My Palawa friends and colleagues are devastated, but it's not recognised. There is a fuss in Hobart city at the moment about some 'red awnings' on a heritage building (less than 200 years old) and yet there's 40000 years of irreplaceable heritage just up the road and ... no one seems to care.

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22 May 2011 16:46 AEST

George Manolis

From: Cape Paterson, VIC

Brighton Bypass

I am deeply ashamed and distressed that this could happen, not only as an Australian, but as a human being interested in history and the preservation of history.

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21 May 2011 18:07 AEST

Margaret Owen

From: Perth WA

Brighton Bypass

i am deeply sorry.

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20 May 2011 16:36 AEST

David Newbold

From: Kingston Tasmania

Brighton bypass

I will tell you why. Its because we have a corrupt government that will walk all over us cover up the facts and has no interest in what the minority has to say.It has been this way in Tasmania for Decades and i am afraid that my indigenous friends that's the way it will always be unless we can get an indigenous minister into Parliament down here.They have tried to destroy every integral part of indigenous culture and sacred site that has ever been found in Tasmania and its a bloody disgrace.

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