Community shocked after Aboriginal rock shelter bulldozed for NSW power lines

The rock shelter was destroyed by contractors building transmission lines for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone

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Indigenous community members have described their shock and anger after an Aboriginal rock shelter was “damaged beyond recovery” by contractors building transmission lines for a New South Wales renewable energy zone.

The heritage site was destroyed by bulldozers in March during the construction of access tracks for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone, a transmission line project located about 300km north-west of Sydney.

The network company Acerez, engaged by the state government to design, build and operate the infrastructure project, discovered the damage in May while undertaking due diligence checks.

A company spokesperson said processes to protect the shelter “were not fully implemented”.

“We are deeply sorry and apologise without reservation to the traditional owners and to the local community,” they said.

Public records for the site described it as a 4x2 metre rock shelter that could have provided “protection from rain, slope wash and westerly winds”, and potentially contained archaeological deposits.

Thomas Dahlstrom, a Wiradjuri, Tubba-Gah and Gamilaraay man, said he had experienced a “rollercoaster of emotions” on learning the shelter had been destroyed.

“I was shocked. I was angry,” he said, and now coming to the realisation that “it’s gone and it’s not coming back”.

He said a statement of regret was not enough for people to learn a lesson, and hoped that harsh penalties would be considered and applied.

Penny Sharpe, the state’s minister for climate change, energy, heritage and the environment, said she was “furious” about the damage. “It should never have happened and is completely unacceptable.”

Investigations by the company and the state government were under way into how and why the shelter was destroyed, despite the shelter being identified in the project’s approval conditions and in the contractor’s heritage management plan.

Project documents said “micro-siting” to avoid or minimise impact to the site would be investigated prior to construction, in consultation with an Aboriginal heritage specialist.

EnergyCo, the NSW government corporation responsible for delivering the renewable energy zone, said Acerez had failed to conduct its works in line with the agreed management plans and heritage protection measures.

“These safeguards are clearly defined and must be strictly adhered to at all times. As a result, EnergyCo has alerted Acerez of its failure to comply with its contractual obligations,” a spokesperson said.

The federal independent MP Andrew Gee said he was “appalled” and called for the chief executive of Acerez to resign.

“This is irreplaceable Wiradjuri cultural heritage. And it’s irreplaceable national cultural heritage,” he said, “and it is now gone for ever”. “It is absolutely disgraceful and unforgivable.

“There’s this attitude within Acerez and EnergyCo that because it’s the NSW government doing this, they can just act with impunity. We want accountability. There needs to be an independent investigation into all of this.”

Grace Toomey, a councillor for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council central region, told the National Indigenous Times the damage highlighted the need for stronger Aboriginal heritage laws and penalties for harm.

Dahlstrom, who worked on cultural heritage assessments for the renewable energy zone as part of the environmental approvals, would like the company to re-commit to proper engagement with Aboriginal communities and traditional owners.

He has also applied to the federal government for emergency and ongoing protection for other heritage sites within the construction footprint, such as shelters and grinding grooves. “The trust is broken,” he said.