AN APPEAL TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Government House Dunrossil Drive Yarralumla ACT 2600 Dear Ms Bryce, My concerns for the future have moved me to write in the hope that you may be willing to take some action on an issue that I believe to be a threat to all Australians. As a woman of Aboriginal/Irish heritage, I benefit from the insight of both cultures, and I am deeply anguished by the affects that Coal Seam Gas mining is having upon the sacred waters of this my Mother Earth, but also upon the lives of many decent and honourable people. My husband is a good man. His family were amongst the earliest European settlers in the Clarence Valley and they have farmed this same land for many generations. His love for the land is equal to that of any traditional owner and his understanding of the ecology is awe-inspiring. Together we have been actively protesting against the recent CSG exploration activities taking place within 5km of our property. We have had to become “activists” for the first time in our lives because we have no other option. There is no other way for us to express our concern for our future livelihood than to come face to face with well-equipped Police Riot Squad who are being used as ramrods against the public to enable this industry to go ahead, despite growing opposition from the people to whom this resource supposedly belongs. These people are not rioting gang members, nor bikers nor even environmental extremists. They are normal everyday Australians, mostly women, mothers and grandmothers, who all share a social conscience and concern for the future. We are concerned about our precious water, which is in fact our most valuable resource of all. Are our resources not the common wealth of all Australians? Her Majesty is so committed to the equal rights of all people within the Commonwealth that she recently came forward despite her own illness to reinforce those rights, while our own governments are stripping the rights away from their own citizens in favour of large mining companies. We are a nation rich in resources yet each State is rushing to cash in on the riches rather than sharing what is the “Common-wealth of the nation”. The potential risks that Coal Seam Gas mining, (as well as other increasingly “unconventional” and high intensity mining techniques) poses on our communities, our livelihoods and our way of life, far outweigh any supposed benefits. No amount of compensation can make up for the poisoning of water and land. We cannot eat or drink money. The processes and procedures in place to protect the environment are able to be overruled by exemptions at the discretion of Ministers. For instance, a Minister may issue a “licence to interfere with aquifers”, a “permit to pollute” or a “permit to damage or destroy an Aboriginal Heritage Area”. The fact that such exemptions exist makes a mockery of the systems put in place to protect our rights to clean water, as well as the entire Reconciliation process. Much of our cultural heritage was destroyed through ignorance before the laws guaranteeing their protection were enacted. This we may forgive, but how can we now forgive the wanton desecration of protected areas like Arnhem Land, the Pilliga, and the Kimberlys , the Wadi Wadi people’s Birthing Place and Whale Caves near Wollongong, or the Githabul sacred lands near Kyogle. It breaks my heart to see my people who have already lost so much, now fighting to hold on to what is left of our beautiful culture and our connection to Country. To see the farmers, the backbone of this country, fighting for their land and water so that they can continue to feed the nation. Parents fighting for the rights of their children to a healthy future and those who just appreciate nature fighting for its very existence. It feels like our own governments are waging war on us and they are quite willing to use as much force and inflict as much collateral damage upon us as is needed to ensure that the mining boom continues, but to what end? I do not know where else to turn. For thousands of generations we the Aboriginal Nations of Australia have nurtured and protected the land as she, Our Mother has nurtured and protected us. It is our Traditional Lore. Now we are afraid that there will be nothing left even to show our grandchildren, in one generation from now. I do not know whether my appeal is in any way within the realms of your office, but I would ask that you give the matter some personal consideration. I do not know how to appeal to the highest official authority of this land, HRH Queen Elizabeth II, other than through you, her representative here in Australia. I had hoped that as a mother and grandmother as well as our Monarch, that she too may be concerned about the future of the Commonwealth of Australia and the welfare of her people. I thank you for your time and in advance for any assistance no matter how small, be it through gesture or deed, or even a kind thought or prayer. Yours most Sincerely, Donna Kenny (Gamilaroi Nation) THE RESPONSE Ms D Kenny Franklins Road Glenugie NSW 2460 Dear Ms Kenny I refer to your recent letter to the Governor-General. Her Excellency has asked me to reply to you on her behalf. I understand that this matter is of great concern to you. I regret to advise, however, that the Governor-General cannot become involved in matters that are the responsibility of governments. You may like to bring this matter to the attention of your elected representatives. Yours sincerely Mark Fraser OAM Deputy Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:11:08 +0000
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