Munda Yumadoo Iliga — Leave the Land As It Is
Chain Reaction (Friends of the Earth) — June, 2007
by Breony Carbines & Simon Prideaux

Consumed by the notion of an employment and economic boom, South Australia is about to face massive expansions in the mining and defence industries. Financially and politically supported by the SA Government, mining and exploration companies are searching the state for copper, gold, uranium and mineral sands. In the Far West region of SA in the land of the Kokatha Mula Nation Far West Division, sixteen companies have exploration leases over the culturally and ecologically significant areas of Yellabinna Regional Reserve and the Yumbarra and Pureba Conservation Parks. It is an area of 4,000,000 ha. containing rolling sand dunes, clay pans, granite outcrops, water rock holes and is the largest stretch of intact stunted mallee forest in the world.

“The land holds culture and law for the Kokatha Mula people, we do not want it to be broken.”

— Simon Prideaux, Kokatha Mula

Previously untouched by the mineral industry, the area is now under threat. Companies involved include Red Metal, Adelaide Resources, and the most active of all, Iluka Resources. Iluka mine, market and export titanium and zircon for use in a wide range of products including make-up, porcelain, sunscreen, paint and electronic components (zircon is also used to line nuclear power plants).

In 2002, Labor’s election policy included a promise to ban mining in the Yumbarra Conservation Park “if the current exploration lease proves fruitless and expires.” The lease over Yumbarra did expire in February 2003, but the SA Government broke its promise about granting further licenses. In October 2005, SA Premier Mike Rann then announced 500,000 ha. of Yellabinna as a wilderness area protected from mining and exploration. Although this was a welcome development the SA government consistently fails to understand that the entire area deserves protection.

“The significance of the rockholes are individual, yet interrelated. You can’t have some without the others.”

— Sue Coleman-Haseldine, Kokatha Mula

The Kokatha Mula continue to live their culture, express their grave concerns about mining, take measures to protect their heritage and share with those willing to learn the significance of this unique stretch of country.

“This is the last inland area where I can teach our children — this is our School ... the land houses our bush medicine — our pharmacy ... Hunting for our meat, gathering our food — our grocery stores, our garden. Our spiritual beliefs are within and throughout the land — this is our church.”

— Sue Coleman-Haseldine

To raise awareness and share culture, Kokatha Mula host rockhole cleaning trips every six months. The last three trips consisting of 20-30 people have made progress in returning significant water rockholes back to good health. The trips are an opportunity to visit a currently pristine ecosystem and make a practical contribution to land conservation with the direction of committed traditional owners.

Acting as an ecological link between the Northern Mulga Woodlands and the Southern Mallee Dune System, the area holds significant biodiversity. It is valuable habitat for endangered, rare and threatened flora and fauna including a probable community of the highly endangered Miniature Marsupial Mole (Notorcytes Caurinus). As the area becomes riddled with exploration, the status of these species becomes increasingly precarious. Hunting grounds are also at risk. Areas once rich in wombats and bush turkey have been rapidly altered by roadwork, sample drilling and other exploration activities resulting in a noticeable reduction of bush foods. Mining companies argue that exploration and mining will only have a minimal impact and that restoration is possible. However, Kokatha Mula have already witnessed impacts at this early stage. The worry is that further impacts may not only restrict their access to foods, medicine and places of cultural importance, but limit their ability to share their culture and most importantly educate their children.

“We want to keep the land and rockholes, the way it is. For the importance of our family and our culture.”

— Marcina Coleman-Richards, Senior Kokatha Mula woman

In late March, Kokatha Mula and participants in the latest rockhole cleaning trip came across Iluka Resources workers clearing roads for exploration. Work was stopped on this day and a peaceful road block that included the vigil of an 80 year old Kokatha Mula elder was established. Work was stopped for a further 14 days before protestors were evicted by National Parks and Wildlife. The blockade attracted extensive media and garnered awareness and support around the country.

“We have been campaigning for protection of this region for many years. Short-term profits from mining will never outweigh the natural and cultural values of this land, and what it means to our people. Our message to the State Government and any mining companies ... is ‘Munda Yumadoo Iliga,’ which means ‘leave the land as it is.’

— Marcina Coleman-Richards (senior Kokatha Mula woman) and Sue Coleman-Haseldine

Despite the successes of the campaign so far, the urgency of the situation remains. Exploration activities are still underway. Due to the number of sites and companies involved and the remote nature of the country, political intervention and proper protection is paramount. The SA Government needs to be held accountable for its broken election promises. Yumbarra needs to be reinstated to true conservation status and Yellabinna and Pureba should be granted the same level of protection to disallow all mining exploration. The rights of the Kokatha Mula need to be recognised.

“We don’t want broken promises, we need action.”

— Bronwyn Coleman-Sleep, Kokatha Mula