Fight for Country
On 24 March 1998 was the beginning of one of the largest land rights and environmental campaigns seen in Australia. At the invitation of Yvonne Margarula, senior elder of the Mirrar people, thousands of people travelled to her land in Kakadu National Park to mount a blockade.
The reason for the blockade was a proposal to build a second uranium mine on Mirrar land. Jabiluka, like Ranger mine that was pushed ahead with despite their opposition, is within the boundaries of world heritage listed Kakadu National Park.
Fight for Country
Tuesday, 24 March 1998
THE BLOCKADE
The dry season of 1998 saw thousands of people make the long journey to Kakadu to join the protest. Hundreds were arrested and the mine was eventually mothballed once again when Rio Tinto acquired North limited, the owner of the Jabiluka mineral lease.
Rio Tinto acquired North Limited for reasons unrelated to the Jabiluka Proposal, and their decision not proceed with the development were not altruistic. Veto provisions within the Land Rights Act (NT) enabled the Mirrar to obstruct elements of the development to the point where it became economically unviable.
The Jabiluka Campaign saw the uniting of indigenous and non indigenous Australians in a common cause, and the raised of the profile of indigenous and environmental rights.
John Howard’s government, despite it’s intentions to the contrary, has had very limited success in developing Australia's extensive uranium resources. Now, in 2006 they are trying again, with crazy ideas for a national and probably international nuclear waste dump, nuclear power generation and possible even nuclear processing and reprocessing plants.
History shows that Australians are fundamentally opposed to nuclear development, and the expansion is anything other than assured. There is no better evidence of this opposition than the Jabiluka Blockade.
Lock-on in the compound.
several activists and myself run through the dawn. Them to lock-on to some mining equipment, me to film them. This was the first action on within the portal compound. The video I shot here was seen around the country soon after on TV news, the first time I had my footage used in this way. Ben (in the middle with the lock-on) later told me friends of his in Adelaide saw the footage and were inspired to join the blockade.
Dawn Concert
Regurgitator, Midnight Oil and Coloured Stone blockade the Oenpelli Road to mark the official launch of the Jabiluka Blockade.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Interspersed with footage from Chernobyl, Chelyabinsk and Woomera this sequence, with beautiful 3D animations by Dermott Egan of Fishfeet Designs highlights the destructive power of the Nuclear Industry.
Ranger Uranium Mine
With one mine already operating on Mirrar land, they are fully aware of its destructive power. The mine was supposed to raise the living standards of the local people, but instead brought distruction, alcohol, displacement and radioactive waste.
Campaign goes International
While on a concert tour of Melbourne, Bono of U2, at a Sea of Hands rally, lends some words to the campaign. Some consider it a great boost to the campaign. In the immortal words of Gary “he‘s a spoilt brat fucking too rich rock and roll star, and not a real good one at that.”
Camp Life
Life at camp wasn’t all about being arrested. Here I learn how to lose the game of chess. Me is on the right.
Mine Construction Begins
there were plenty of chances to be arrested all the same. In the thick of night the mining company try to sneak the equipment into the portal compound to begin destruction. Several activists manage to lock on and create a bit more delay, and a bit more publicity.
Traditional Owners Arrested
Yvonne Margarula along with Jacqui Katona Reuben Nango and Christine Christopherson and myself are arrested. Yvonne is the senior elder of he Mirrar people, on her own land to protest the proposed development. She is later found guilty of trespass.
Government Challenged
Lynne Allison, now leader of the Australian Democrats, was a vocal opponent to the proposed mine in the Australian senate. Here she is challenging the environment ministers ‘all of government’ approach to preventing Kakadu being listed as in danger by the World Heritage Commission. The WHC later finds that the mine proposes a significant threat to Kakadu’s natural and cultural values.
106 Arrests
One of the many acts of mass trespass. 106 people were arrested on this day after they walked onto the lease area.
Jacqui Katona (Right)
and Yvonne Margarula at the launch of the Jabiluka Blockade.
Blockade of North Limited
One of many blockades of North Limited’s head office in Melbourne. This blockade was staged every day for a week.
Bob Brown
Senator Bob Brown of the Australian Greens is another vocal opponent to the Mine. Here speaking at a rally in Melbourne.
Ubir Rock
A sample of some of the Rock art that Kakadu is famous for. It has become difficult for the Mirrar to practice their culture in the presence of a mineral lease. The living culture of the Mirrar is one of the reasons for Kakadu’s world heritage listing. This art is part of that tradition.
Kakadu Escarpment.
There is no good place for a uranium mine, but this would surely have to be the worst. Kakadu National Park is one of the few places in the world to be world heritage listed for natural as well as cultural values.
Main Credits
Written, Produced, Directed, Camera and Editing by - Pip Starr
Produced and Technical Direction by - Bill Runting
Music - courtesy of Regurgitator, Powderfinger, Midnight Oil, Mark Daniel and others.
Animations - Dermott Egan, Fishfeet Designs
Voice Overs - Phil Egan, Saro Krishnapillai
THE FILM
Fight for Country came about after I was invited by the Mirrar People to document their struggle to stop a second uranium mine being built on their land. I was arrested twice in the process of making the film, both times for trespass. One of these times was imediately after the arrest of senior traditional owner, Yvonne Margarula, Jacqui Katona and others.
took over four years to complete, almost one year of that being spent at the blockade camp in Kakadu National Park. It was an experience as difficult as it was wonderful, living with extremely limited funds, borrowed equipment and with mosquitos that could and frequently did bight through denim doused liberally in DEET. Camp numbers fluctuated between dozens to many hundreds in short periods of time. Living in a tent in the remote camp was a challenging but very rewarding experience.
Gary Foley, long time indigenous activist living in Melbourne, introduced me to the Jabiluka campaign. As the Mirrar’s representative in melbourne he gave me great encouragement and support in the filming of Fight for Country. Gary made me understand the importance of film making as a documentation of history.
As a documentation of what can be achieved I hope Fight for Country will inspire others to express their passions for a just and sustainable world.
A couple of hundred people trespass onto the Jabiluka Mineral Lease.
LINKS
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