Please attribute all quotes to Adrian Burragubba, Nagana Yarrbayn Senior Elder and spokesperson for the Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodians.
On Opposition to Adani’s Mine
“Wangan and Jagalinagou people first said no to Adani’s mine in 2012, and we continue to say no. Adani has never had Free Prior and Informed Consent from the Wangan and Jagalingou people.
“We will continue to resist Adani’s coal mine, practice our culture, and assert our human rights as the First Nations people of this country. We are not going away: this is our land and we have Human Rights.
“Wangan and Jagalingou people have been conducting the cultural ceremony Waddananggu for over 120 days on Wangan and Jagalingou country and Adani’s mining lease. This Ceremony will continue and our Human Rights to practice ceremony on country must be respected.
On Adani’s agreements
“The Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodians assert that we are the original ethnic people, currently in occupation of land on Moray Downs leasehold area, manifesting our cultural and religious practices protected under the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019.
“The Indigenous Land Use Agreement that Adani purports to have became invalid this week, by way of the Federal Court ruling removing the Native Title Party’s ability to approve the mining project.
“Without the approval from the Original Custodians, Adani is in violation of International Human Rights by segregating our people.
On Risks to Water
“Adani’s draining of groundwater threatens to dry up the Doongmabulla Springs, a site that has sustained our people and all life in our country for millennia.
“We wrote to Queensland Environment Minister Scanlon on Adani’s breaches relating to water on the mine site. But the Minister refused to investigate and simply took Adani’s word for it, despite evidence of breaches of Queensland law. We need a full investigation into Adani’s extraction and management of water on the Carmichael mine site.
“Adani must tell us where it plans to get the vast quantities of water for the Carmichael mine, and what impacts this will have on sacred sites like the Doongmabulla Springs.
On Destruction of Cultural Heritage
“This month, Adani bulldozed and blew up the site containing the highest concentration of artifacts ever found on Adani’s vast mining lease. The site was an ancient stone tool making area that our people utilised for thousands of years.
“Every day that Adani keeps digging this mine, it is destroying thousands of years of our old people’s history without our consent. This cannot continue and is why we continue to resist and assert our human and cultural rights to defend our country.”
Timeline: 10 years of saying no – Wangan and Jagalingou people vs Adani’s coal mine
● 2012: Wangan and Jagalingou people vote against Adani mine for the first time
● 2014: Wangan and Jagalingou people vote against Adani mine for a second time
● May 2015: Launch Federal court challenge against Adani’s Carmichael mine
● May 2015 Launch Banks Declaration and world tour to meet with banks in USA and Europe
● March 2016: Wangan and Jagalingou people vote against Adani’s mine for a third time
● April 2016: Criticise Adani’s sham meeting for an Indigenous Land Use Agreement
● April 2016 File legal challenge against Adani mining leases
● November 2016 File legal challenge to Adani’s sham Indigenous Land Use Agreement
● October 2016 Meet with UN Special Rapporteur over Adani’s mine and human rights
● June 2017 Federal Native Title Act Amended for Adani, removing Wangan & Jagalingou rights
● December 2017: Wangan and Jagalingou people vote against Adani mine for a fourth time
● September 2018: Apply to the Full Bench of the QLD Supreme Court for appeal against mine
● November 2018: Tour South Korea to meet Adani investors: all rule out further investment
● December 2018: Adani applies to QLD Supreme Court to bankrupt W&J Senior Leader
● February 2019: Adani’s ‘attack dog’ legal strategy leaked to media, targets W&J people
● August 2019 QLD government extinguishes W&J Native Title, handing land title to Adani
● October 2019 Adani applies to QLD Supreme Court to block W&J people from country
● August 2020 Wangan and Jagalingou people issue eviction notice to Adani
● September 2020 W&J file complaint with QLD Human Rights Commission
● April 2021 W&J requests QLD Government investigate Adani breach on mine site
● August 2021 W&J people begin cultural ceremony on the mine site: Waddananggu
● October 2021 W&J call on QLD Minister & Adani to stop destruction of cultural heritage site
● November 2021 W&J people block BNY Mellon financing deal involving Carmichael mine
● December 2021 Adani destroys W&J cultural heritage site, QLD Minister refuses to act.