James Price Point gas hub"Ž fight intensifies

The fight to stop a gas hub being built in the Kimberley, Western Australia, continues in full force, despite repeated police intervention, Jenny Curtis reports.

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The fight to stop a gas hub being built in the Kimberley, Western Australia, continues in full force, despite repeated police intervention.

The protestors, many of whom are traditional owners of the land, say the $30-billion project will destroy ancient Aboriginal sacred sites.

However, their blockade is being continually broken as police remove protestors, allowing the contractors employed by Woodside the developer, to pass though.

This standoff has been in place for the past seven weeks. The protestors believe even if the contractors eventually get through, their disruptive presence is an effective delaying tactic.

Witnessing the bulldozers rolling in to clear the 25 hectare site is too much for some Jabbir Jabbir Golarabaloo traditional owners to bear.

Elsta Foy, Traditional Owner says she will never stop fighting the gas plant.

"This is my grandchildren's future. This is my grandson, I got another one and another one, so what have we got to leave them. And this is for all Australians, this is not just for us, but our kids are still practising law in this ground, I'm going to be strong. I don't want them to do this anymore," she said.

They claim there are sacred burial grounds within the land.

"How could you? How could you just tear up our country? That we've been looking after, keeping it safe, from people like them, " traditional owner Rowena Puertallano said.

This is a campaign backed by many locals and environmentalists. They say they'll do everything to prevent the Kimberley from becoming industrialised.

"Woodside should not be here. They do not have the final approvals in place. There is every likelihood the government will not back this project," Lyndon Schneiders from the Wilderness Society said.

Traditional owners are split. Those who recently voted in favour of the gas hub, insist the deal they've signed with Woodside will greatly benefit the local indigenous community.

"It's exceptional because in the past we've seen the government funding just doesn't go anywhere," Jabbir Jabbit Goolarabaloo traditional owner Mervyn Maher said.

This deal is bigger than any other deal that's been made in the past in Aboriginal Australia.

The police presence at James Price Point looks set to stay:

"If you go within 30 metres of work activity, you may be prosecuted for hindering, obstructing, or preventing that lawful activity," a police officer said.

Those protesting say they refuse to be deterred by the threat of being carted away by the police. Some have been demonstrating for many months now and say they're prepared to fight until the very end.

Woodside says it has the required permission to proceed, that it's business as usual and that the protestors are not hindering the contractors' work.

If the Federal Government does give the gas hub its seal of approval, building is expected to begin in 2012.


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3 min read

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By Jennifer Curtis

Source: SBS


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