Tiwi Island Traditional Owners have told the Federal Court that Santos’ offshore gas project poses a risk to sacred sites and spiritual connection to Sea Country that has spanned millennia, as they argue they were not properly consulted about Santos’ plans to drill the offshore field.
The evidence was given during the first day of a groundbreaking Federal Court challenge to Santos’ offshore Barossa gas approvals, as the Federal Court made a historic journey to travel to the Pitjamirra on Melville Island of the Tiwi Islands to take on-Country evidence from Traditional Owners in a legal battle over the approval of Santos’ Barossa Gas Project.
The Mayor of the Tiwi Islands and senior Munupi Traditional Owner Pirrawayingi gave evidence to the court, saying that Santos “are not thinking about the significance of the sea to our people and how the drilling is going to affect our people, Aboriginal people, the sea life and seafood. If something goes wrong and if there’s a spill, there is significant damage. That is what our people are thinking about: the physical damage that will last perhaps forever, and in a spiritual way too.
“When we talk about Sea Country, we as Munupi Traditional Owners do have ownership of it. That may be difficult for outsiders to comprehend. We are the holders of everything under and in the sea. It is part of us, who we are as traditional Aboriginal people. We need people to understand that.”
Munupi Traditional Owner Paulina Jedda Puruntatameri also gave evidence, telling the court that: “The Songlines go out to deep water, that’s where the turtles are. The deep sea country is part of the Munupi clan. We are connected to the sea. We have a turtle dance and we are connected to those turtles… [there] are sacred sites that are not to be disturbed. They are in the water, they are off Melville and Bathurst island as well. They are there in the water.”
Tiwi Senior Lawman, Dennis Tipakalippa is suing NOPSEMA, the federal offshore gas regulator, over the approval of Santos’ plans to drill the Barossa gas field. It is the first time on-Country evidence has been heard in a judicial review challenge to approvals for an offshore fossil fuel project. It’s also the first case in Australia brought by First Nations people challenging an offshore project approval over lack of consultation.
The Federal Court hearings will continue from Tuesday 23 August in Darwin, until Friday 26th. Mr Tipakalippa and his clan, the Munupi, are being represented by the Environmental Defenders Office.
A solidarity action with Tiwi people will take place on Wednesday the 24th of August, and will see members of the Darwin community, Tiwi Elders, as well as Federal and local MPs, gather in front of Northern Territory Supreme Court at 12:30 PM ACST. Speakers will be available
