Tribes opposed to the possible exploration for Shale Gas and Oil on their land , have burnt the letter they were sent by the petroleum company hoping to gain access to the land around Maningrida in the Northern Territory.
Eddie Mason the spokesman for the Tribal council that represents the 12 Tribes opposed to the exploration explained the situation to reporter Craig Quatermaine.
Watch the video above for the full story.
Eddie Mason: A letter came, and we ended up burning the letter because we asked the Ministers to come out and talk to us face to face. Me and the 12 tribe.
We found it disrespectful because when I was in town I went to every company or government, I walked in there to tell them to come and speak with the rest of the tribes.
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SBS: Who are your biggest supporters?
Eddie Mason: I formed a tribal council of a tribal member from each clan to come and stand up with me, to stop the gas lot coming into our country.
So far it's spread. I started a bushfire and it's spread all across the Arnhem Land, saying that nobody want no gas or anything. Because we think about our animals and our sacred sites and everything that lives on the coast line and even on the mainland that we don't want to destroy.
Is there anyone you're actually really disappointed in, for lack of support?
Eddie Mason: We don't want oil or gas in our country, and it seems to me that they're not listening to us – the government. They're not listening to us because I've asked them to come over to Maningrida and talk to us.
That's the second time they sent me the letter. They are trying to get a response back to them that me and my people are going to say yes or no to them, but we still say to them: No we don't want gas in our country.
If they keep sending us that letter, we still won't be talking to them. We want to meet them face to face.
