There is always conflict between industry and the natural ecosystem. With the arrival of extraction and even mass agriculture comes pollution detrimental to the flora and fauna. This is no different in Aboriginal regions as in urbanized cities.
Dean Mathews is a Yawuru Aboriginal and Project Officer for the Nyamba Buru Yawuru Aboriginal Corporation. He monitors the impact on groundwater by agriculture and mining. He has made a video. It is significant that the location he tested did not have any visible industry there, so it would be expected that the water was still pure. Test the water adjacent to mining activity and the results would be quite different.
Much has been made of Aboriginal cooperation with industry - too much for my liking. One has the feeling that local Aboriginal have been duped. The mining industry employs people whose sole motivation is to change public opinion to accept the "job-creating" mining companies. The problem is of course that few Aboriginal are qualified to get these jobs.
In my opinion this is just a public relations exercise. As modern agriculture and mining becomes widespread pollution will occur. The states have allowed fracking for natural gas to take place anywhere. The effects of this is disastrous with farmers showing that gas which seeps up after fracking can be ignited with a lighter.
Aboriginals should try as best they can to have their native regions isolated completely from industry. They got the vote and ownership of their land. Now, they have to go one step further and fight for the right to keep minerals where they belong: in the ground.
Conservation by Ty Buchanan
