Media release: Noongar leader conducts cultural protest outside the home of Woodside director and former WA treasurer Ben Wyatt
Wednesday 20 September 10am AWST - Perth
A Ballardong Noongar community leader and Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner has conducted a smoking ceremony, made an acknowledgement of Country and demanded answers outside the home of Woodside director and former WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt
At 10am this morning, Deputy Chair of the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee Desmond Blurton planted the Aboriginal flag on grass outside Mr Wyatt’s house, lit eucalyptus leaves and addressed queries to Mr Wyatt about Juukan Gorge and the destruction of sacred Murujuga rock art by Woodside’s Burrup Hub. The protest occurred during school hours so Mr Wyatt’s family were not present.
As WA Treasurer and Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Mr Wyatt was responsible for the aborted Aboriginal Heritage Act that was repealed by the WA Labor Government last month and oversaw the Section 18 approval process that enabled Juukan Gorge and the removal of sacred Murujuga rock art to construct the Perdaman fertiliser plant at Woodside’s Burrup Hub.
After leaving WA politics in 2021, Mr Wyatt swiftly joined the boards of Rio Tinto, responsible for the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves, and Woodside, whose Burrup Hub threatens UNESCO-nominated Murujuga rock art with toxic emissions and has already destroyed thousands of sacred sites.
The protest comes six weeks after more than a dozen counter-terror police ambushed 19 year old Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner Matilda Lane-Rose outside the house of Woodside’s CEO on August 1. A spray can and some water balloons were found nearby, and Ms Lane-Rose was charged with Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence along with three others, including 21 year old Emil Davey who had a gun pulled on him by counter-terror police the day before and did not attend the protest.
In the interim, record flooding has devastated more than a dozen countries and destroyed many thousand of homes, while Australia’s fire season has begun early with nearly 100 fires currently burning on the east coast as global temperature records continue to tumble.
Since February 2023, the State Security Investigations Group, WA’s counter-terror police, have executed more than a dozen invasive raids of the homes of Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigners and seized more than 30 electronic devices. Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner Joana Partyka faces trial tomorrow for refusing to obey Data Access Orders issued to her by WA authorities for her seized devices.
Woodside’s Burrup Hub consists of the Pluto and Karratha gas plants, the Perdaman and Yara fertiliser plants, and the Scarborough and Browse gas fields off WA’s north-west coast. Woodside are seeking Final Investment Decision on the massive Browse Basin gas field, the largest in Australia, by the end of 2023 to complete the Burrup Hub.
Ballardong Noongar man and Deputy Chair of the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee Desmond Blurton said this morning:
“I want to acknowledge our sacred boodjar, here not far from the Derbal Yerrigan, the home of our creator the rainbow serpent the waagal. I would like to acknowledge my ancestors, old people and Elders on our sacred boodjar on which we stand today.
My name is Desmond Blurton, deputy chair of Deaths in Custody Watch Committee and a campaigner with Disrupt Burrup Hub. I am here this morning on behalf of the Disrupt Burrup Hub campaign outside the home of Woodside director and former WA Labor politician Mr Ben Wyatt.
As Treasurer Mr Wyatt signed off on billions of dollars being taken from Aboriginal land for mining without permission of traditional custodians and with none of the proceeds returning to community that need it. As Aboriginal Affairs Minister he presided over the Cultural Heritage legislation that just got thrown out by the Labor government. Mr Wyatt also maintained the Section 18 approvals that allowed Rio Tinto to blow up the caves at Juukan Gorge and then immediately joined the board of Rio Tinto after leaving politics. He is now also a Woodside director while Woodside’s Burrup Hub is desecrating and destroying sacred Aboriginal rock art and tribal lands at Murujuga.
I came here today in peace to seek answers on behalf of all our communities as we demand answers from Woodside, the WA government and Mr Ben Wyatt. If you’re a supporter of the Voice, why did you give permission to Rio Tinto to blow up Juukan Gorge and allow the continued destruction of Murujuga by Woodside’s Burrup Hub? As floods ravage the globe and fires rage across the country, why are you permitting Woodside’s Burrup Hub to threaten our Mother Earth with 6 billion tons of toxic emissions?”
ENDS.
