Front Line
Shenhua Watermark Gets the Gong- Rich culture and heritage to gaping hole. Food Bowl to Dust Bowl
Shenhua Watermark, a Chinese government owned company, is no doubt getting about the preparations for Chinese New Year. A time many throughout the world are celebrating and also paying respect to their ancestors.
As Aboriginal and Gomeroi people we would normally be supporting these celebrations, but not this year.
While Shenhua Watermark are preparing to pay respect to their ancestors, they are also in the backrooms planning the destruction of our culture and heritage and harm to our ancestors.
Gomeroi people also find that our invitation to Mr Liux to meet with us and allow us to have access to our grinding groove sites for the purposes of undertaking ceremony has just been ignored.
“ Not even so much as an acknowledgement – nor an apology to say he can’t meet. He is disrespectful. The Gomeroi have a long history with many Chinese people and these interactions have been in the past pretty good….but this isn’t the case here with Shenhua.” Said respected Elder Uncle Dick Talbott
Uncle Lloyd Matthews said- The government are a disgrace- it’s shameful. There should never be an approval to destroy the grinding grooves sites and the destruction of the entire area.”
Government has turned its back on the bush, there is no vision for rural and regional NSW, there is no protection for Aboriginal culture and heritage. We have reached the tipping point
Our message to the government is this- you have allowed the Leard State Forest to be destroyed – A peoples forest- and destroying critical aquifers and contaminating our water system. You have sat on your hands and allowed for the destruction of our culture and heritage- you failed us and continue to fail us. Well never again- the fight is on. Shenhua Watermark is a mega mine which should never have been approved.
Aunty Del Jones said- “They need to understand what they will do to the water- we can’t live without water- they will turn the Liverpool plains from the food bowl to the dust bowl.”
Gomeroi people will meet at Wolsley Park today and are planning to send a message to Shenhua Watermark and the Chinese Government this morning.
We will not be backing down- Shenhua Watermark, you are on notice- We will not be sitting back letting you destroy our culture and heritage, our land and our water and the future for our children and all children.
Dolly Talbott – 0413131983