A co-director of an Indigenous corporation that opposed a $1billion goldmine being built in a region of NSW had unsuccessfully tried to have every creek, lake and river in the same area registered as an Aboriginal heritage site.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek recently blocked the proposed site of a tailings dam for the goldmine in Blayney, in the state’s central west.
She issued an Indigenous heritage protection order rejecting the planned site of the dam at the mine in mid-August.
The Wiradjuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation asked the minister to protect the headwaters and the springs of the Belubula River as a site central to creation stories.
That’s despite the NSW Independent Planning Commission originally approving the mine in March 2023, a process that involved consultation with the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council, the elected body for local Indigenous leaders.
In 2021 Lisa Paton, one of the directors of the Wiradjuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation, tried to have all waterways in Blayney registered as Aboriginal sites by the state’s Office of Environment & Heritage, The Australian reported.
‘This (application) is over ALL NATURAL waterways in the Blayney Shire Council Region including all waterways that no longer flow, 100 metres either side of waterways, Rivers, Creeks, swamps and lakes,’ she said in her application which was ultimately denied.
‘All waterways in the nominated area are known to have deep spiritual significance.
Lisa Paton is the co-director of the Wiradjuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation, which spoke out against the proposed site of a tailings dam at a $1billion goldmine being built in Blayney, NSW
‘Connection to the river for Wiradjuri people was related to their kin groups and each person has responsibility towards care and protection of a section of the river and waterways that related to their family ties.’
The revelation was blasted by Sky News host Caleb Bond.
‘Imagine if we applied that across the nation,’ he said.
‘Every waterway in the country is now some sort of sacred Indigenous site because, of course, every waterway in the country, I’m sure at some point had an Indigenous person drinking from it or fishing from it,’ he said.
‘Surely you could say that about every bit of land in the country.’
At the time of Ms Paton’s application, Regis, the company behind the goldmine, was five years into consultations about the mine with Indigenous groups including the one of which she is a director.
Ms Paton also once worked for the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council, according to her LinkedIn, and also conducts heritage research at the Belubula Headwaters Protection Group.
Ms Paton had earlier applied for every waterway in Blayney to be registered as an Aboriginal heritage site
In 2021, Ms Paton launched a petition to then environment minister Sussan Ley, objecting against the goldmine being set up.
It garnered just over 300 signatures.
Ms Paton did successfully register an Aboriginal burial ground on the western side of the proposed site for the goldmine in 2020.
Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council representative and Indigenous elder Roy Ah-See earlier said Ms Plibersek’s decision undermined the recognised authority of the council.
‘Not all Aboriginal people are about environmentalists, we’re about economic empowerment for our people,’ Mr Ah-See said.
‘Our kids want to be a part of the economic base for future generations.’
The NSW Environment Protection Authority also said the impact on the Belubula River would be ‘minimal’.
Ms Plibersek earlier said she’d objected to the tailings dam being established on 400 hectares of the 2,500 hectare site, and suggested the company find another place for it.
Regis chief executive Jim Beyer earlier said the order rendered the project unviable because the alternative sites for the tailings dam also fell under the exclusion area.
‘We’ve got quite a task ahead of us to understand what the alternative is to the tailings facility,’ Mr Beyer told reporters in Orange last month.
Tanya Plibersek issued an Indigenous heritage protection order rejecting the proposed site of a tailings dam at the goldmine (pictured) in mid-August
It would take years to complete the necessary geotechnical drilling and environmental surveys to identify a new location, he said.
‘Right now we’re not exactly sure what direction we can take,’ he said.
‘We will look at it because it’s a project worth pursuing, but we just don’t know how long. It could be five to 10 years.’
Regis executives have met with several NSW government ministers to consider potential ways forward.