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Australian news, and some related international items

Future certain for Olympic Dam but not Traditional Owners

From Robyn Wood, of FOE South Australia: Here’s an article in the National Indigenous Times about the Roxby Indenture act passing and ignoring Traditional Owners. They note that the Conservation Council did not appear at the hearing – that was due to illness.

They also note that no Traditional Owners were invited to the hearing – I think that’s outrageous, and exactly the time they should have invited the newly established Aboriginal Voice to Parliament to give evidence.

I was also outraged by Chair of the Select Committee Tom Koutsantonis ignoring all the submissions and calling them irrelevant – even the Flinders and Upper North Voice to Parliament one.

David Prestipino, National Indigenous Times June 17, 2026

A landmark update of a decades-old Indenture agreement guiding development at Olympic Dam and copper-rich Gawler Craton was ratified by the South Parliament on Tuesday despite serious concerns from affected Traditional Owner groups.

Key Points

• Three Traditional Owner groups left out of landmark deal

• Concerns at impact of 50 years of mining on Country

• New Indenture fast-tracks BHP’s Olympic Dam expansion plans

The agreement between the Malinauskas government and global miner BHP ensured long-term certainty for the region as a global copper powerhouse but left Traditional Owners concerned for their future and angry at the short time set for submissions over the deal.

Critics said the six-day window to respond to updated Indenture contradicted claims of due process, a fair hearing and proper public consultation by the SA government, after the agreement was mooted in May.

Native Title bodies told a government-chosen Select Committee they had serious concerns at ongoing impacts another 50 years of BHP mining operations would have on their Country.

‘Destruction’ of Country

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation, whose Traditional lands include the Olympic Dam region, told the Committee the previous Indenture Act – in place for more than 40 years – was insufficient already.

“The original Indenture is viewed by the Kokatha People as the authorisation of destruction of our land and a mechanism to drive our people off Country, without the involvement or consent of Kokatha People,” KAC wrote in its submission earlier this month.

Dieri Aboriginal Corporation said a BHP well field on Dieri Country would continue to pressure the Great Artesian Basin.

“Water is very important to us as Dieri People and the impact of water taken from Wellfield B impacts the health of our Country,” the board wrote in its submission.

Arabana Aboriginal Corporation urged the Committee to make recommendations on important matters that affected Arabana People and their land, outlining them in its submission.

“The damage to our springs and land, the closure of Wellfield A, ongoing water abstraction from Wellfield B, the absence of consultation with the AAC,” it wrote.

“The continued displacement of the Aboriginal Heritage Act for the Stuart’s Shelf on Arabana Country and how development of the bill can be reconciled with the state’s own commitments to Aboriginal people.”

The Committee heard evidence from SA’s departments of Energy and Mining, Energy and Water, BHP, the SA Conservation Council and SA Chamber of Mines and Energy.

The Conservation Council chose not to attend the hearing, while no Traditional Owners were on the Committee.

Changes pave way for more mining…………………………………………………

The three Traditional Owner submissions as well as several environmental organisations had heavily criticised the limited time to make a submission, while also lamenting insufficient consultation and engagement from BHP and stakeholders………………………..https://nit.com.au/17-06-2026/24868/future-certain-for-olympic-dam-but-not-traditional-owners

June 21, 2026 Posted by | politics, South Australia | Leave a comment