Consider this 2 parts bleg, 1 part dastardly conspiracy theory.
About an hour ago I got a phonecall from a friend whose family run a pastoral lease in the Kimberley region. She’s chairwoman of a local committee representing leaseholders, shires, traditional owners and the like. Her committee was contacted by the shire to ask for their opinion about a proposed pair of National and World Heritage Listings.
This has put the cat among the pigeons as the listing will apparently cover a lot of leases, indigenous townships, council land etc. Furthermore, it’s the first anyone in the Kimberley had heard about it.
Apparently the push for National listing is coming from Minister Peter Garrett, and the World listing push is from the “Save the Kimberleys” pressure group.
Putting on my tinfoil hat for a second, I can only wonder if word of this made its way to Paul Henderson first. Because if there are proceedings to lock up vast areas of the Kimberleys via Heritage Listing then you can bet your buns that the umtpeen-billion dollar LNG plant project being mooted will come to Darwin instead of being built off the Kimberley coast.
Taking off the tinfoil hat, my friend needs help.
My advice so far is to make as much noise as possible. Call journalists, harass the department for information, write letters, find every politician they can to make noise.
So far I’ve managed to get a very iffy grasp of the process via this PDF file from the Australian Heritage Council. One thing I can’t find out is when the process began and where it’s up to at the moment.
If you’re a shinybum in the relevant department (and I know we have a lot of readers in Canberra), let us know your thoughts in the comments box. Of particular use would be any other hints or tips. Possibly the name of a lawyer who’ll help out. That sort of thing.
I am afraid that that is a long way from me and I don’t know anyone who could help.
OTOH, it is kinda comforting to know that Peter Garret has something to do with himself. As an opponent of sit-down welfare I am encouraged.
have a look at the website for the Society of Heritage Owners NSW. They have been lobbying about heritage law reform in NSW and have made some progress for owners rights.
Bloody luvvies and their heritage obsession.
I realise you’re being sarcastic, but a lot of people’s livelihoods are at stake.
No I’m not being sarcastic. The whole heritage thing does sometimes go too far.
I think much of the Kimberleys would be as hopelessly overrun with feral donkeys, camels etc as the rest of the outback. I’d prefer to see leaseholders given financial incentives to maintain environmental values on their holdings and control vermin in their immediate surrounds.
But this comment is rubbish: “Furthermore, its the first anyone in the Kimberley had heard about it.” See this media report in which Garrett raises the prospect of WHL back in February this year: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/05/2154988.htm
I went by what she told me. They hadn’t heard of it until the shire contacted them.
I don’t know anything about the Kimberlies, but I do know a little about heritage listing, and I’m not at all convinced that a heritage listing would mean SFA difference to the development and management of the region. It would mean more planning, and more federal money, but it’s not the end of the world as they know it.
World heritage listing would take many many years to get going.
Well yes, Jacques is clearly fanning the flames of hysteria. Garrett’s comments above suggest the whole thing is rather harmless and leaseholders aren’t being targeted. His friends are not going to be chased out of town at gun point by park rangers.
I’m fanning the flames of ignorance because I don’t know. I was rather hoping that this would get some specific dousing rather than hand-wavy “it’ll be OKs”.