Bidjigal traditional owners 'denied access' to light rail artefact site

Bidjigal traditional owners say a riot squad was present when they were denied access on Thursday to a Sydney light rail construction site where thousands of Aboriginal artefacts have been found.

The site at Randwick where the artefacts were found. Source: NITV

Bidjigal traditional owner Assen Timbery says police in riot gear and an Aboriginal liaison officer were present when traditional owners arrived at a light rail construction site in Randwick, Sydney, on Thursday.

"They send the riot squad to take four old people," Timbery says. "It's just ridiculous what's going on.

"All we want to do is get on the site and have a look."

More than 21,000 thousand artefacts, believed to be 3,000 years old, have already been excavated at the eastern Sydney site and safely stored.

But heritage reports show that thousands more could be at risk of damage if construction continues.

New South Wales Greens MP David Shoebridge says he requested access to the site on Tuesday on behalf of the traditional owners in their effort to protect the remaining artefacts.

However, a spokesperson for NSW Transport told 'The Point' that Mr Shoebridge was made aware before the traditional owners arrived that the visit could "not be accommodated as staff were not available to perform safety inductions".

The spokesperson adds NSW Transport did not request the police to attend the site on Thursday.

The NSW Police Service told 'The Point' that no officers were called to the scene.

Source: The Point