AN INDIGENOUS group is calling on South Australian Planning Minister John Rau to rescind approval for the proposed golf course and tourist resort at Nora Creina, citing irreversable cultural and environmental damage to the landscape.
Kungari Aboriginal Heritage Association chairperson Dr Irene Watson said the First Nation Peoples of the South East of South Australia, including the Meintangk and Bundanditj peoples, called on the State Government to say no to the “destructive development”.
“As the ancient carers and managers of our lands, it is our obligation to ensure proper management of country,” Dr Watson said.
“We are alarmed by this proposal and its potential to impact upon and damage our coastal dune system, surface waters, underground waters and native species dependent upon and living in the region of the proposed development.
“This proposal will not protect First Nations cultural sites such as middens and burial grounds and such destruction cannot be replaced or compensated for by way of an educational display in the proposed resort centre.
“This is because from a First Nations perspective the education is in the land – when you destroy the biodiversity in the land you destroy the possibility of learning in a proper way.”
Dr Watson said the State Government had not “acted in good faith” when dealing with Aboriginal people on the matter, adding the state had ignored the importance of Indigenous culture.
“Currently Meintangk and Bunganditj peoples have little presence or acknowledgement in decision-making processes that impact our territories,” she said.
“From a First Nations perspective the time frames for the development have been rushed and are time frames which better meet the needs of the SA government and the developer.
“As a result, the regulatory system fails to understand how Aboriginal laws from ancient times remain important to human relationships to country.
“Indigenous philosophy centres on relational and cyclical connections to the natural world – a plan which resulted in a damaged country-side would never be allowed to proceed.”
Nora Creina developer Justin Scanlon said he was confident the project would meet the requirements of the state and federal governments and it would proceed at some time in 2018.
“We are up against Christmas and then the caretaker period of government begins ahead of the state election in March,” Mr Scanlon said.
“We have investors from the South East involved in this project as well as overseas places like Dubai, Malaysia and New York.
“We put our plans out there and then we revised them and now require 21pc less vegetation clearance.
“We believe the land will be better off as we will manage the land.”
He said there were photographs from the 1950s through to the 1980s showing there was no vegetation in areas and it was wrong to suggest it has always been in pristine condition.
