Protection Order for Wiradjuri Sacred Site

In a significant move, the federal government has issued a rare protection order under Indigenous heritage legislation to safeguard a sacred site near Blayney, New South Wales. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a partial declaration under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (ATSHIP) Act, aimed at preserving part of the headwaters of the Belubula River, which was slated for a tailings dam associated with the McPhillamys goldmine. The initiative follows an application lodged by Wiradjuri elder Aunty Nyree Reynolds in 2021, who sought to protect the area amid her battle with mesothelioma. Reynolds expressed her determination to act on behalf of her community, emphasizing the spiritual connection to the river. “To kill the Belubula by putting cement in the springs was unthinkable,” she stated, highlighting the cultural significance of the site. Plibersek confirmed that the protection order would take immediate effect, although it would not impede the development of the open-cut goldmine, which received approval in March 2023. She underscored the importance of the headwaters to the Wiradjuri people, linking them to ongoing cultural practices and asserting that desecration of the site would threaten the continuity of their culture. The protected area encompasses the headwaters, springs, and a section of the river, with strict regulations against activities that could harm its significance. The declaration aims to ensure that the site remains a place of cultural and spiritual importance for the Wiradjuri community.