PRIME MINIST
FOR MEDIA 18 JUNE 1991
The Government has tonight decided to incorporate the Kakadu
Conservation Zone into the KaladuNational Park and d i'slow
mining ait Coro-nation Hill.-
The Government's decision is based on the overwhelming
evidence that the effect of mining on the Jawoyn people, and
to a lesser extent the environment, outweighs anhy economic
benefit to Australia offered by the proposed mine.
The Government understands that Coronation Hill represents a
special set of circumstances not -existinegl sewhere in
Australia, or indeed, outside the area defined by the Jawoyn
as the Sickness Country. In a country rich in resources,
and undeniably rich in investment opportunity and mining,
the Government has given appropriate weight to the sacred
beliefs of the Jawoyn people and the proposition that one
extra mine be developed.
This decision has no implications for proposals to mine
elsewhere. It is an illogical position to judge this
special case as reflecting any change in the Government's
general attitude to ventures involving the development of
our natural resources. This decision should not be regarded
as a precedent. As the Resource Assessment Commission
report says at paragraph 9.34: " In the light of these
considerations, the Inquiry reaffirms its view that there
are sound reasons for treating the Conservation Zone as a
special case. It understands that the mining and business
sectors have great difficulty in accepting this view but it
believes the facts show that particularly sensitive issues
are involved and that these issues deserve full
consideration before the Government makes its dcso."
The Government accepts the unequivocal and independent
evidence that the area in question is fundamental to Jawoyn
culture, that they regard it as a significant sacred site,
and that mining would constitute an unacceptable desecration
of their culture.
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I have said, and I repeat, that it is extremely presumptuous
to question the integrity of Aboriginal beliefs simply
because they are outside an intellectual framework with
which most of us are comfortable. The Jawoyn have made
absolutely clear that they regard Coronation Hill as a
sacred site and that mining should not be allowed. The
Government accepts that the Jawoyn have said no and mean no.
The Government accepts paragraph 7.126 of the RAC report
which says: " The Bula tradition is not a modern invention.
The concepts of the Sickness Country and multiple Bula sites
occur in the first anthropological records of the area,
which date back to the early 1950s."
This is a complete repudiation of the condescending
opportunism of the Leader of the Opposition who said on
17 May: " If you know anything about Aboriginal heritage,
Bula didn't exist ten years ago He ( Bula) suddenly
emerged as a device to block Coronation Hill."
The Government's decision ensures the integrity of the
entire National Park and will aid us in nominating Stage
Three for World Heritage listing. This nomination will
proceed this year. Australia's contribution to
international conservation efforts cannot be underestimated
and it is a matter of pride that the Government has accepted
the benefit of conserving the National Park and the whole of
the abundantly rich Alligator River system within it.
The implications of this decision are twofold; they are,
first, an indication of this Government's genuine commitment
to the religious and cultural beliefs of the Aboriginal
peoples, particularly through the process of Reconciliation,
and secondly, an indication ' that our commitment to
conservation through sustainable development is also genuine
and ongoing.