Key Points
- A mammoth $3 billion dollar gas project has been approved for the Pilliga forest
- The Native Title Tribunal ruled in favour of fossil fuel giant of Santos over traditional custodians
- Gamilaraay/Gomeroi people say their concerns over climate change and the heritage destruction have been ignored
- The 'Coonabarabran Statement' calls on the government to move away from fossil fuels
Ten-year-old Tai loves visiting the Pilliga forest near his home in the Central West of New South Wales.
"There's a lot of birds, magpies and we saw a frilled-neck lizard the other day," he said.
But the Gomeroi boy is growing increasingly worried about its future.
Tai joined his grandmother and hundreds of others at a rally in Coonabarabran on Saturday to continue to push back against a $3.6 billion dollar coal seam gas development planned for the region.
"When I grow up I'm going to live there if it's not destroyed," said Tai.
"I don't want it to be taken. Don't take our Pilliga."
The rally comes less than a month after the National Native Title Tribunal ruled in favour of Santos, which wants to build up to 850 wells over a thousand hectares, carving through the Pilliga forest with roads, fences and other infrastructure.
Members of the Gomeroi community expressed their unity and support for the continued fight through cultural dances at the gathering. Credit: Karen Michelmore, NITV
The Coonabarabran Statement
The gathering issued a statement expressing their "disgust" at the recent National Native Title Tribunal decision, which it said "extinguished Gamilaraay/Gomeroi Native Title in favour of coal seam gas mining".
One of the organisers, Suellyn Tighe, said the Coonabarabran Statement signalled the start of a fresh grassroots campaign against the development.
"Watch this space, there's more to come," she said.
"It's time to move forward from fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy.
"Our government is constantly saying one thing and doing another and we need to send them a strong message with our votes to say that we're not going to accept this anymore.
"We are valuable and our voices need to be heard."
Hundreds of people gathered in Coonabarabran in Central West New South Wales in support of the Gamilaraay Gomeroi people who are continuing their fight against a major gas development in the nearby Pilliga forest. Credit: Karen Michelmore, NITV
It also called for the "draconian and biased" Native Title Legislation to be fixed.
A spokeswoman for the Attorney General said the government was "aware" of the independent tribunal's decision in the matter.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been contacted for comment.
'Follow the science'
Kamilaroi man Mitchum Neave said he was shocked the tribunal had overlooked the Gomeroi's concerns over climate change.
"How ridiculous is that? We have government people sitting there telling us you have to follow the science, then you have got the tribunal (which has) overturned the science as well," he said.
"So what are they trying to say? It's all about the money and the greed."
He said it was frustrating that the concerns of the local Aboriginal community were not being heard.
"They're not listening to us. First Nation people - we've been here a long time," he said.
"They're talking about a Voice to Parliament - what better example is there to say 'OK, throw it out, let's move on.'"
Kamilaroi man Mitchum Neave says he worries for the future because of climate change, and was shocked by the recent decision of the National Native Title Tribunal. Credit: Karen Michelmore, NITV
In justifying its decision, the tribunal stated the anticipated benefits of the development outweighed the concerns of the traditional custodians about climate change and the "grave and irreversible consequences for the Gomeroi people’s culture, lands and waters".
Little time remains for the Gomeroi to launch a formal legal appeal against the decision.
"We are here to support the Pilliga," said Elder Casey Dowd.
"It means a big thing to us. What they're doing to it now is not very nice.
"I'm a proud, very proud Gomilaroi Elder, and I don't like seeing what's going on.
"It's just not right."
