2023-04-20
Yesterday Woodside CEO, Meg O’Neill, addressed the National Press Club in an attempt to scare the federal government from ‘overreaching’ when it comes to tax reform in the upcoming budget .
In a shocking display of cultural insensitivity during questions, Ms O’Neill flippantly revealed Woodside destroyed First Nations sacred rock art while constructing part of their Burrup Hub operations.
Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson for First Nations and Resources, Yamatji Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox:
“I’m calling on Woodside to rip up its Reconciliation Action Plan and stop playing our communities and people for fools. In the year of the Voice, you cannot call the destruction of a sacred site ‘culturally appropriate’ when the Traditional Owners have shared time and time again their lack of consent and absolute distress at the destruction of their sacred
Country.
“An important step in reconciliation is about truth and justice, this means for Woodside to act on the calls from Traditional Owners - it needs to stop the ongoing destruction of Murujuga’s World heritage nominated site in the Pilbara region of WA.
“Murujuga is a sacred site, it contains songlines, dreaming stories, and lore. The petroglyphs are a visual bible for First Nations people. If a company removed parts of the pyramids or the Vatican, there would be an international scandal.
“This is truth-telling; Woodside was the beginning of the LNG industry of Australia. They have continuously destroyed the Country and cultural heritage of the world's oldest surviving cultures. They justify this by touting the pitiful levels of tax they pay, and threaten to turn the lights off for everyday Australians when challenged.
“Backing the Voice to Parliament while ignoring the voices of Traditional Owners is hypocrisy at its finest. The hearts of Murujuga people are breaking, the Statement from the Heart means nothing without any plan to preserve and protect Country, and dodging their accountability for past actions.
“Woodside has destroyed the Country and livelihoods of many Traditional Owners, to imply First Nations people fighting these projects have deep pockets is outrageous.
“The rock art monitoring program that Ms O’Neill referred to is a classic case of state capture - industry is paying to generate doubt about their impacts on Murujuga. This is the same technique that was used by big tobacco companies.
“Woodside are as bad as Rio Tinto when it comes to destroying First Nations cultural heritage. Murujuga is Juukan Gorge 2.0.”