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Archaeologists working for Fortescue and an Indigenous group they’re fighting in court have accused the mining giant of destroying more than a hundred heritage sites. For 15 years, the Yindjibarndi people have been battling iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, the company founded by billionaire Andrew Forrest. Some traditional owners in Western Australia’s northwest say the rifts between family and community members triggered by the dispute may never heal.
Among the stoushes is a long-running compensation fight, which briefly returned to the Federal Court last week. An expert report accepted into evidence found 249 sites within the mine footprint were protected under the State Aboriginal Heritage Act, which means they can be destroyed or damaged. More than half of those sites, where humans were living 40,000-45,000 years ago, have been destroyed.
In case you missed it, WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam addressed the party faithful this weekend, declaring she’ll unseat Labor at next year’s state election. “The Liberal party’s story is far from over ..
. I believe we can and will win government,” she said. It will be a difficult feat to achieve, with the Liberals holding just three out of 59 seats in the lower house after Labor romped to victory in the 2021 election off the back of former Premier Mark McGowan’s pandemic-grown popularity.
Among the policies announced at the Liberal get-together, Mettam said the party would commit $100 million to slash elective surgery wait times. “If the public system cannot meet these deadlines patients will be given the next available appointment in either a public or private hospital at no extra cost to them,” she said. However, doubts remain on whether the private sector would have the capacity to assist.
Other election issues the party plan to tackle are crime, better supporting police and cost-of-living measures. The election is four months away. The Liberals lost power in 2017.
Here’s what’s making news this morning: Good morning and welcome to WAtoday’s live blog for your Monday. Making news this morning, WA’s top traffic cop has urged caution on the state’s roads following several crashes this weekend which resulted in six deaths. Three people died when a car ploughed into a Carlisle home on Saturday; two women were killed in a head-on collision on Indian Ocean Drive later on the same day when their vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road; and an elderly woman died in a crash in Alexander Heights.
It makes WA’s road toll the . Meanwhile, a 65-year-old Baldivis man who a judge called “unstoppable” in his bid to expose his genitals to women and children, is after he was caught “flopping his penis out” yet again, this time in front of three schoolgirls in a Dome café. The Indian-born man has already spent time in prison, after he was convicted of exposing himself to 12 victims, including a seven-year-old child, .
Judge Carmel Barbagallo told the father-of-one his conduct was “disgusting” and “shameful”. And, The State Library of WA has declared war against attempts to censor library collections across the state. In the wake of a campaign by a conservative advocacy group to restrict access to two sexual education books to over-16s, the State Library said in its recent annual report it would continue to .
Journalist Jesinta Burton has also published the latest article in her ‘Lunch with’ series, sitting down with corporate heavyweight and talking life lessons, not shying away from social issues and breaking up the boys club..
