Construction of a bridge at Victorian State Parliament will commence this Thursday (29 May, 1.15 pm). The bridge works are a protest against the State Government's recent announcement of plans for a new bridge across the Murray River to be built on Yorta Yorta traditional country at Echuca-Moama - the proposed Western or 'W1' route.
An alternative bridge route more acceptable to the Yorta Yorta was rejected, despite the fact that an Environmental Impact Statement said that the chosen route was the most likely to affect the environment - a concern shared by the Yorta Yorta. Yorta Yorta spokesperson Mr Henry Atkinson said the Yorta Yorta Nations and others supporting their ongoing battle for their lands and waters were upset and angry at the lack of respect and consideration shown by the Government for Yorta Yorta cultural and spiritual values, and for their status as the first peoples of the area. He said the Yorta Yorta first heard about the final decision on the radio, and that the choice seemed set from the start, with both the Campaspe and Murray Shire Councils promoting the W1 route. 'The State Government has agreed that historical railway sites like an old railway turntable need to be preserved in the bridge construction, and recently the federal Government objected to work in France because it would disturb the remains of Australian soldiers. Yet it seems that Indigenous values don't matter.' Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (Vic) spokesperson Dr Chris Atmore said supporters of the Yorta Yorta were building their bridge to try to get members of Parliament to appreciate 'how it might feel to have someone suddenly decide to do something at your place without bothering to really ask you'. 'But we're also giving the Government a model of how to do things better in the future, because we've been consulting with the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of the land Parliament is on, about our bridge-building process.' Last December the Yorta Yorta people suffered a bitter blow in their quest for land justice and economic self-determination when the High Court failed to uphold their native title appeal. Dr Atmore said that the Bracks Government chose to spend many thousands of dollars of Victorian taxpayers' money in continuing the Liberal State Government's formal opposition to the claim all the way to the High Court. 'Yet at the same time this Government says that they prefer to genuinely negotiate with the Yorta Yorta people, rather than get involved in drawn-out litigation. Such negotiation would be in line with State and federal ALP policy which sees land as essential to Indigenous human rights. But this latest action hardly inspires confidence in the Government's commitment to do the right thing by the Yorta Yorta or other Indigenous communities in Victoria.' For further information, contact: Yorta Yorta Nations: Henry Atkinson 9763 5271; 0428 846 760 (Council of Elders spokesperson) ANTaR (Vic): Dr Chris Atmore 0425 796 434 (Co-Convenor, Yorta Yorta Support Group) Peter Lewis 0417 529 142 (Chair, ANTaR Vic) Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (Victoria) Inc 67 Brunswick St Fitzroy VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9419 3613 Fax: (03) 9417 2619 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.nativetitle.org -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
