Lake Cowal Protest Camp Needs Urgent Support

Send protest letter: www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakec.html

Wiradjuri Traditional Owner, Neville 'Chappy' Williams has issued a red alert
calling for support for the protest camp at Lake Cowal in Central-Western New South Wales. Sacred Heartland of the Wiradjuri Nation where Canada's Barrick Gold has plans for an open pit cyanide leach gold mine.

Sacred Fire
On 3 November 2003, the police and the Rural Lands Protection Board put out the sacred fire at the camp, claiming there was a total fire ban and that the fire was hazard. It was a calm day with no breeze out at Lake Cowal yesterday. There was no flame, only smouldering coals. Protesters were tending the fire. Chappy had an emergency plan in place for the fire. If conditions deteriorated the sacred fire would be kept in a covered metal container. No sparks could have escaped from it. A fire extinguisher is also at the camp in case of an emergency.

Chappy is standing his ground at Lake Cowal as he believes it is his right to practice his religion. "Fire is part of our religion. Fire and the land go hand in hand. It is part of our Native Title claim", he told media interviewers yesterday.

14 Days' Notice to Vacate Camp
Today, 4 November 2003, the Rural Lands Protection Board has requested that campers, including Neville Williams, fill out a permit to allow them to camp on the Travelling Stock Route near Lake Cowal. The campers have been told that If they do not fill out the permit, they will have to vacate the area within 14 days. The Lake Cowal Protest Camp was set up three months ago in August 2003.

Chappy's view is that Aboriginal people should not have to fill out a permit to camp on their own land. Lake Cowal, and the area around it, is sacred to Traditional Wiradjuri people. The Travelling Stock Route, where the camp is located near Lake Cowal 47 kms from West Wyalong, is also a public place that should not require a camping permit. Chappy is calling for your support to defend Aboriginal rights to religious freedom guaranteed under s. 116 of the Australian Constitution and for Aboriginal people to be able to camp on their own land without a permit.

What you can do:

• Join the protest camp at Lake Cowal: Take the Newell Highway to just before West Wyalong, then follow the "Lake Cowal" sign or follow the signs to Lake Cowal from within town), or take the Mid-Western Highway via Forbes and follow the Burcher Road. Turn off near Womboyne to Lake Cowal
• Send donations to the Lake Cowal Fund, Commonwealth Bank, Dickson ACT, Australia, BSB 062-904 Account No. 10236217
• Tell your friends and pass on this message
• Write letters protesting these actions and the proposed mine to Mr Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales and Mr Craig Knowles, Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
• Send messages of support to the Coalition to Protect Lake Cowal email ruthr@ozemail.com.au; binnie.odwyer@foe.org.au or visit www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/lakep.html

Contacts: Neville Williams 0416 316 774 or ruthr@ozemail.com.au