Sleeping underneath the ground in Arabunna country, there is an old lizard known as Kalta the sleepy lizard.
The lizard isn't so sleepy anymore, as BHP Billiton is mining right into that Kalto's body.
The Federal Government approved the expansion of the Olympic Dam uranium mine in Roxby Downs in October 2011, to make it the biggest uranium mine in the world.
Kalta is angry and wants revenge. Arabunna elder Kevin Buzzacott has called the people of the world to help the lizard shut down the mine. His call is for people to come and heal the land in the name of peace and justice for the next 10,000 generations to come.
The land is being irreversibly poisoned in and around Roxby Downs. The tailings dam is causing dust and ground water contamination and contamination of its own workers.
The uranium is taken all over the world and used to kill the land and all its creatures. It’s destroying lives not only in Fukushima with the reactor meltdown, but in the depleted uranium shells that children play with in the streets of Iraq and Kosovo.
With the Governments numerous attempts to put a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty in the Northern Territory. There is also the danger, that radioactive waste will be brought back and opening Australia up to accepting nuclear waste from all over the world. Lets stop the deadly chain where it starts.
The land the lizard and the creatures of this earth are summoning everybody who cares about the future of this country. To the gates of the Olympic Dam mine at Roxby Downs in South Australia.
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“Many of our food sources, traditional plants and trees are gone because of this mine. We worry for our water: it’s our main source of life. The mine causes many safety risks to our roads – transporting the uranium from the mine. It has stopped us from accessing our sacred sites and destroyed others. These can never be replaced. BHP never consulted me or my families, they select who they consult with. Many of our people have not had a voice. We want the mine stopped now, because it’s not good for anything.”
Eileen Wingfield, Kokatha elder
Hosted by the Desert Liberation Front (DLF)
Day 1 – The Lizards Revenge (Saturday)
Welcome to country and talk with Uncle Kevin Buzzacott
Reclaim the road party with sacred fire, bands, dj’s, speakers and art installations, Solar sound system for main stage and wheely bin mobile sound system on the loose.
Big feed with Yellow cake tea house, Food not Bombs kitchen and Kangeroo BBQ and Solar cooker
Day 2 – Workshops, speakers & sunset cabaret (Sunday)
We will be running Direct action, Legal briefings, Banner painting, Zombie makeovers & so much more on this day. The main focus is to get people informed about the issue and their rights. We aim this day for people to come together & feel comfortable about what they would like to do in forming an action statement for day 3
We will also have moonlight cinema & cabaret shows in the evening, plus food - Yellow cake tea house, Food not Bombs kitchen and Kangeroo BBQ and Solar cooker
Day 3 – Your action/statement against uranium mining (Monday)
As a group or an individual make an action or statement about uranium mining, land rights, water use, world peace (associated issues) ect.. So come prepared with things you might need to make that action. Paint a banner, write a song, pray, chain your self to a piece of mining equipment, fly a space ship into the mine lease, jump out and start planting trees. What ever it is, it takes many varieties of action to defeat this monster so show us what you got. Non Violent Action styley, legal advice available.
Debrief of the days events & activities - Big feed with Yellow cake tea house, Food not Bombs kitchen and Kangeroo BBQ and Solar cooker
Performances, cinema & D.J’s – Performances 10 min or under, bring your costume box
Day 4 & beyond (Tuesday)
We can collectively decide if we want/can maintain a blockade of the mine. We want people to feel safe & comfortable with their action statements, if it is supported by the group, we will aim to maintain a camp – we will provide food, shelter, training, legal advice for people to stay as long as the camp is functional & serving the purpose to blockade the mine
The Desert liberation front will provide 2 meals a day for people at the camp, we ask people to bring only what they need, as you are required to take home what you bring, e.g rubbish
ABC News July 11, 2012
AUDIO: Police to block roads in outback (The World Today) | |
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Police are to close roads leading to the Olympic Dam mine in the outback because protesters say they will try to blockade the site.
They are flagging plans for a five-day protest on the outskirts of Roxby Downs in South Australia from this weekend.
Police said both roads leading to the mine would be closed to the public from midnight on Wednesday.
An organiser of the planned protest, Nectaria Calan, said it might be moved to a slightly different location to try to stop workers reaching the mine.
Road closures
Olympic Way, Olympic Dam from the junction with the Bypass Road to the BHP Billiton Special Mining Lease (SML) security gate
Borefield Road, Olympic Dam from the junction with Olympic Way to the northern point of the BHP Billiton SML
Related areas on either side of the above roads
No person may walk, drive, park or leave standing any vehicle in these areas
- Information from SA Transport Department
"It's almost invited by the fact that the police are setting up a blockade there because they're not leaving us with very many options but that's something that we really have to assess, whether it's sort of a tactic that we think would actually be productive or counter-productive," she said.
"If not looking for a fight means going eight or 10 kilometres away and be[ing] camped in the middle of nowhere and be[ing] totally irrelevant then that sort of makes the whole thing pointless."
She said people travelling to the area might find their path blocked and it was possible drivers might run out of fuel if they had to take an alternative route to bypass any road blocks.
"I guess we're just disappointed that they didn't tell us, we're very easy to find and we're concerned that some people that won't hear about it through the networks, on Facebook and the website, might end up being stuck up the other end," she said.
"We really hope that the police will show some compassion for the stragglers that didn't hear about it.
The mine opponents say their planned action is aimed at closing the BHP Billiton uranium, gold and copper mine.
Police to roadblock protesters heading for Olympic Dam
ABC News The World Today July 11, 2012
Police say they'll stop all traffic heading to the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia's far north over the next six days, as anti-mining campaigners head to the site to protest the planned expansion of the mine, which sits on one of the largest known uranium deposits in the world.
ASHLEY HALL: South Australian police are planning road closures around the Olympic Dam copper mine as protesters plan to gather over the next six days.
The mine sits on one of the biggest known deposits of uranium in the world and is being considered for a massive expansion.
Police say they'll stop all traffic heading into the mine for safety reasons and deny they're taking sides.
The protesters say if there's any trouble it will be initiated by police.
Rebecca Brice reports.
REBECCA BRICE: The South Australian Parliament has pledged bipartisan support to a massive expansion of Olympic Dam, which would turn it into one of the biggest open cut mines in the world.
That's attracted the interest of anti-mining campaigners who are heading to the site to protest. And that, in turn has triggered police attention.
Neil Smith is the assistant commissioner for operations in South Australia's far north.
NEIL SMITH: We know that because of the protest the special event that's occurring there in the area could be during some points in time unusually crowded, there's not normally people in that area - there's vehicles and not people.
And so for that reason we need to ensure the safety, the area is zoned at 100km/h so we'll be having speed restrictions in we'll be having control points.
REBECCA BRICE: The organisers say the event is part-protest part-festival.
Nectaria Calan says it will raise awareness of their environmental concerns about the copper mine, which also produces uranium, gold and silver.
NECTARIA CALAN: This is going to be the largest uranium mine in the world and it does affect all Australians and indeed it goes beyond Australia's shores in that we'll be exporting this uranium.
REBECCA BRICE: Did you need to get permission to hold the festival?
NECTARIA CALAN: We haven't sought any permission. Our understanding is that there is a bit of Crown land near the mine and we can legally camp on Crown land for up to three weeks. So we'll be setting up a legal camp.
REBECCA BRICE: The protesters says it's police who'll need to be on their best behaviour
They've raised an incident 12 years ago at the Beverley Uranium mine in which some protesters, and a news cameraman, were locked in a shipping container by police.
NECTARIA CALAN: We are not anticipating that kind of violence but if there is violence it will be initiated by the police. It is not our intention and we are looking to protest against the expansion which it's our right in a liberal democracy to do so and that's our goal. Our goal.. I just hope we don't see a repeat of what happened in Beverley.
REBECCA BRICE: From midnight tonight control points will be set up on the two public roads heading to the Olympic Dam mine.
All traffic will be stopped.
Police say mining vehicles will be let through but they'll decide on the other traffic but they're not clear on the criteria for refusing passage.
NEIL SMITH: Well it will depend on what they have with them and what they're intentions are. So our whole plan here is we'll be stopping all vehicles, we'll be speaking with those drivers and determining whether they should or shouldn't enter that area.
REBECCA BRICE: Assistant commissioner Smith says police aren't taking sides.
NEIL SMITH: We know for example that there's indications that the protesters want to block the mine and stop its operation and the mine has a lawful right to go about its lawful business just as they have a lawful right to protest.
REBECCA BRICE: BHP Billiton which runs the Olympic Dam mine isn't commenting on the protest it's leaving that to the police.
One person who says he's seen it all before is the administrator of the Roxby Downs Council Bill Boehm.
BILL BOEHM: I've been here 11 years. The protesters have been up here off and on for several years in a row and sometimes not for a number of years and these cases generally speaking it's handled appropriately. This one clearly has a degree of police presence that's considered appropriate for the circumstances.
REBECCA BRICE: Police say they're cooperating with protesters about plans to march to the mine on foot.
They won't say how many officers are being sent to the area, only that there will be "adequate resources".
ASHLEY HALL: Rebecca Brice.