My grandmother’s country is Kulumbirigin Country Larrakia, known more commonly as Darwin.
My fathers and aunties have told me how their grandparents and parents lived at a place called Binybara, also known today as Lee Point, long before white people knew it existed. Even after 1869 (when white people invaded Darwin), my family went to Binybara, where we hunted, gathered and lived. My father told me that in the school holidays, he and family would camp there and collect food.
Recently, I wrote an open letter to Minister for Environment Tanya Plibersek, which called for an immediate stop to land clearing works in Binybara for development by Defence Housing Australia (DHA). This is how the letter ended:
I just have one last thing to say before the bulldozers do the unthinkable: please come and talk to us, in person. Let us show you Binybara. Let me show you the nagandji nagandji (brahminy kite) and the gouldian finches and the century-old trees.
I really hope before the sun rises and falls again that my binji (stomach) will not hurt so much and that the nagandji nagandji can rest assured that you’ve made the right decision.
Binybara is a place of cultural significance for our people. There have been many arrests, and many, many phone calls from across the nation from concerned citizens. We know Australians care about Country. We have seen bodies on the line and tears shed for Country, and solidarity thousands of kilometres away.
Since I penned that letter, the bulldozers did descend, and it was worse than I imagined. Over four long days, we witnessed the bulldozers tear down some of the century-old trees, which, beyond having cultural connections, also serve as homes to the endangered Gouldian finches.
But then my family, the Batcho family of the Danggalaba clan from Kulumbirigin Larrakia, put in an emergency application under Section 9 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act and managed to temporarily stop work. My eyes welled with relief. But before we and the Country could breathe, the next day we heard that land clearing had resumed, despite our application and the legal agreement halting the works.
We truly believe that the spirits of the Australian people know that protecting Country is our obligation. My totem, the nagandji nadanji (Brahminy kite — sea eagle), has been flying overhead and following me around for weeks now. My old people are trying to tell me something, I thought. They are here to look out for me. The nagandji nagandji is reminding me to stand strong and defend our country, our home.
We have less than 30 days to stop Defence Housing Australia from destroying our Country for defence and community housing on Crown land at Lee Point. The project is funded by taxpayers; you and I, the Australian people. After that time, the DHA and Minister Plibersek can decide to continue clearing the land, doing irreparable damage to the biodiversity and cultural significance of that place.
We have proposed alternatives to the government: build the houses elsewhere, closer to public transport, to the defence barracks, to schools. That will be effective community housing. We have not heard a peep out of Plibersek; only the DHA has reached out, agreeing to halt the works until early August 2023.
As I wrote to the minister for environment:
As the kite flies, I am reminded that as a human on this land I must use my resources to protect my home. I fear that I am running out of resources. The only thing I have left is my voice. So, I am writing this letter to you, to the people of Australia.
Plibersek and Labor have been in a position, with a weak opposition, where they could have done so much for indigenous rights, climate change and the less well off in our society and while it could be said that they’ve failed miserably, the truth is probably worse in that they have intentionally done harm in the full knowledge of its consequences for our people and our environment.
All strength to your stand Mililma.
“Plibersek and Labor have been in a position, with a weak opposition, where they could have done so much for indigenous rights, climate change and the less well off in our society…”
You’re assuming they give two hoots about any of that. All evidence to the contrary.
Plibersek and Albanese are both shallow politicians, that is, they lack integrity and therefore continuity to do what’s ethically right consistently and earnestly – they are hypocrites and both belong to a largely hypocritical party, though the LNP reached complete and utter hypocrisy decades ago We all need to understand the who(s) and why(s) that drive these leaders to hypocrisy, I am sure that many of them entered politics with heart and ended up giving their tongues to those that represent the who(s). Whereas, the LNP have long solved this problem and now only attract heartless sods of which they have cable tied all their tongues together and plugged them into an artificial intelligence mainframe based in some humid asian backwater that is overseen by overlords based far, far away.
I am so disappointed what is being done to Lee Point Darwin it is Larrakia land a should not be developed and I really thought when Labor got in they’d protect these lands….The Territory is the last Frontier and should stay that way… Please Labour don’t do this and also don’t allow Fraking here it will destroy this beautiful place!!
Once again, Indigenous voices go unheeded and unheard.
Little wonder they seek a Voice to Parliament
As Mililma said: “We have not heard a peep out of Plibersek”
No debate, no respect and no interest if there’s opposition to a Labor plan.
Try writing to Plibersek on any topic. I’ve never had a response, even one of those tacky pro-forma ones.
I am still inclined to think that Albanese put Plibersek in that portfolio, knowing she would carry the can for decisions that contradict what she says she stands for, and so lose her credibility as an alternative leader. She is only one person in a Cabinet that makes these decisions. That said, the current Government clearly has no interest in environmental issues or land issues for aboriginal people. They are weak on so many fronts and a great disappointment.
Plibersek is a failure as a minister, when she could have been outstanding compared to her mostly hopeless, grey and stodgy fellow ministers. Wonder if she is deliberately on a go slow campaign because she has no chance of being PM, will most likely be dropped from the ministry after Labor falls over the line next election, having to rely on cross bench promises to guarantee supply.