water, river, creek, mining, aboriginal, cave, illawarra, coal, longwall, damage, catchment, people, whale, environment, sydney, simpsons, bhp, cracks, billiton, nsw, wadi, woronora, submission, canal, impacts, act, allan, waratah., government, project, gas, georges, art, reserves, upper, bed,government, rivulet

Sadly Allan Carriage passed away suddenly on 9 March 2011. His family has agreed that his website should be maintained in his honour.
He died campaigning for the protection of his country for which he had custodial responsibilities as a Wadi Wadi elder.

This website will continue to reflect the issues that were close to his heart.

The First Australians - Aboriginal Culture & Heritage

For Janet it was a very emotional experience to see the sorry state of a cave which was so important to Allan & to recognise the threat of collapse of this priceless cultural heritage.

Ken Hall had alerted Janet to a 1999 consultant's report to the Sydney Catchment Authority about conservation of the cave which was on the web Whale cave conservation plan and Janet was interested to know which of the recommendations made in that report had been acted upon. Some clearly had, but others may not have been followed up, even after all this time. Janet and Aaron will be investigating this further with the Sydney Catchment Authority.

We are very grateful for the assistance of Mark Simon, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer from the National Parks and Wildlife Service who accompanied us to the Whale Cave.

Jai Rowell, Liberal Candidate For Wollondilly Shire visits Sydneys Water Catchment and the Whale Cave - 28 February 2011

Jai Rowell experienced mother natures best today

On display as we entered the catchment was an abundance of Lyre Birds, there was literally dozens of these birds, We saw many Wallabies and Kangaroos which came leaping out of the mist to cross our path..

The group accompanying Jai was comprised of Allan Carriage of the Wadi Wadi People, Ken Hall of Macarthur Bushwalkers, Tony an SCA Ranger and Mark of NPWS.

Jai Rowell went to see for himself first hand what treasures were hidden in these restricted areas which led to discussions how they could be protected.

The interior of the cave was accessible to us although Tony pointed out that there was a slight danger of rock fall.

Work had been done to improve the cave and surrounding since our last visit, trees being removed from the top of the cave to reduce weight.

Access to the cave was easier after the clearing of undergrowth immediately to the front of the cave and wedges had been replaced with softer wood to improve support for the roof.

Whale cave content and art works

On display was:

• The whale which can be seen on the photograph above left.
• Grinding bowl, one of two which can be seen in the photograph above right,
• Emu
• Serpent, the creator.
• Star fish men - redcoats or soldiers
• Blue tongue lizard
• Spirit man - DULAGARL
• Goanna
• kangaroo's x 5
• Fish
• Dingo with enlarged teats after whelping.

There is also a type of canoe or boat. Allan called me in the evening to say that this vessel was not of aboriginal origin because.

The ends of the canoe were curved along the lines similar to the Egyptian Papyrus vessels. Allan stated that he had never seen anything like it..

Whale cave is a national treasure

We discussed the following subjects with Jai:

1. The protection and housing of artifacts and sacred sites
2. Eco tourism as a source of income for the aboriginal people.
3. Damage to the rivers and creeks by the mining industry.
4. The 4 Corners report on fraccing and damage to the aquifers and heritage water.
5. BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal's pollution of Georges River by the dam on Brennons Creek near Appin

Jai stated that he would like to accompany us on similar trips of this nature.

He expressed a desire to see for himself so that he could grasp and understand the issues and affects of mining an gas drilling on our catchments, aboriginal culture and heritage.

We will certainly take him up on his request and invite him on our activities in the future.

NSW gas exploration laws too late for some as inner-Sydney residents protest drilling

Gas drilling in St Peters Sydney - AAP | December 19, 2010

"The reality is natural gas is an important part of cleaner and more sustainable energy sources into the future," Premier Kristina Keneally said in a statement issued on Sunday."

"However, it is important to get the balance right: managing our natural resources in an environmentally responsible way, with extensive community consultation, while moving the industry forward to a cleaner source of power."

Sydney's Secret Power Grab - The plan to extract ''indigenous'' gas from under Australia's most populated area of land is being kept a closely guarded secret, with inner-west residents completely unaware of the prospect of a gas mine in their neighbourhood. Not even the Greens-led Marrickville Council, covering parts of St Peters, was aware of the scheme

Fracking hell: Busting the natural gas myth - Karl Quin November 13 2010

American theatre director Josh Fox didn't set out to make a film, much less star in one. But when he received a letter offering him $100,000 in exchange for allowing some natural gas wells to be sunk on his farm in a pristine river valley in Pennsylvania, he decided to ask around. What he discovered was shocking — and, he insists, of more than passing relevance to Australians as we embark on a future in which natural gas is touted as a ‘‘clean’’ alternative to oil and coal.

Fox found that, across the US, there are more than 500,000 natural gas wells, many of them on private property and many of them tapped using a process called ‘‘hydraulic fracturing’’, or ‘‘fracking’’, as it is colloquially known. In this, a hole is drilled hundreds of metres down and a mix of highly toxic chemicals and water is pumped down that hole under pressure, forcing the rock base to crack, thereby releasing the natural gas trapped in it.

The problem is, about one-third of the water mix stays below ground, and in many of the sites Fox visits in his documentary, this residue has leached into the water supply, as has the gas itself. Where that’s happened, people can’t drink the water that comes out of their taps any more; in some cases there’s so much gas coming out they can set their water alight.

‘‘This is a huge issue because once you’ve contaminated an aquifer you can’t go back,’’ says Fox, who has been in Australia to promote his film, Gasland. ‘‘It’s almost impossible to clean an aquifer, so your standard for drinking water should be ‘no risk’. Not ‘risk balanced with energy’, or ‘risk balanced with industry’, just ‘no risk’. Period.’’

Is Natural Gas a Cleaner Alternative Energy or a Danger to Communities?

Is Natural Gas a Cleaner Alternative Energy

"I was getting dizzy and almost blacking out. Sometimes I did black out," says Pat Farnelli, a mother of eight who has gas wells are both sides of her property.

"My kids had been getting sick very badly all summer long with what seemed like a very heavy duty intestinal bug. You know the wicked stomach cramps, doubling over.

After a neighbor's well violently exploded, the state investigated and found that faulty casings in the drilling well had caused methane to seep into local drinking wells. Locals have dubbed the well water here, a cloudy brownish liquid with sediment on the bottom, "Dimock lemonade." Some residents in Dimock and in other places close to natural gas drilling say there is so much gas in the water they can even light it on fire.

HEALTH CONCERNS IN COLORADO'S OIL AND GAS FIELDS

There are an increasing number of oil- and gas-field residents who believe that the industry is causing or exacerbating their health problems.  Some of their stories are captured in the excerpts from new articles on this website.  Links to other stories can be found in the "For More Information" section at the bottom of the home page.

Health concerns - Healthworks, Protecting the community and environment

Indonesia Widens Sidoarjo Mudflow Damage Probe

Mud flow from gas drilling

Yudhoyono said the “good news” was that the mud was now flowing out of the ground at just less than 70,000 cubic feet a day, compared with 1.7 million cubic meters initially.

In Mindi village alone, nearly 5,000 people have been living in fear for four years because they are only 50 meters from the main dike containing the mud lake. In March 2006, mud began spewing from a crack near a gas-drilling well operated by Lapindo, a company under the umbrella of the Bakrie group controlled by the family of the then coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Aburizal Bakrie

The mudflow inundated hundreds of hectares, swallowing homes, fields and factories and leaving thousands homeless.

Yudhoyono also asked East Java Governor Sukarwo and the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency to work together on the agency’s proposal to turn the area into a mud volcano park that would allow volcanologists and geologists to study the phenomenon and also serve as a recreational area.

News Flash: NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE ACT 1974: DISALLOWANCE OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE AMENDMENT (ABORIGINAL OBJECTS AND ABORIGINAL PLACES) REGULATION 2010

In June this year the New South Wales Parliament passed the National Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill 2010. The bill made significant changes to the protection of Aboriginal heritage. It established a tiered offence approach to the harm and destruction of Aboriginal objects and places, which includes a strict liability offence. With the introduction of a strict liability offence for harm and destruction of Aboriginal objects the Government also sought to establish a range of defences. One could suggest that the expansive palate of defences almost renders the transition to strict liability offences as window-dressing rather than real enhanced protection for Aboriginal heritage.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20101028025

Ian Cohen – New barriers imposed on the protection of Aboriginal heritage

This website introduces the Keneally Governments mining legacy to the people of NSW

Drilling for gas - GASLAND Trailer 2010 - Hydraulic Fracturing

The Woolwash photographed 15 May 2010 - Water flow had ceased from O'Hares Creek which carries 70% of Georges Rivers water
Please visit Georges River runs dry - is it too late? for more photographs and a report

Message to the people of Sydney, Southern Highlands, Sutherland Shire and the Illawarra

Uncle Allan Carriage featured in the banner above is an elder of the Wadi Wadi people. The Wadi Wadi tribe who along with three other aboriginal tribes come from the Illawarra Region of NSW are the traditional owners of the Woronora Plateau, its rivers, creeks, swamps and catchments.

In the banner Uncle Allan is viewing cracks caused by longwall mining in one of two caves located in the walls of a gorge which is home to Simpsons Creek, the creek is located west of Appin. The two caves were home to the four tribes in the past.

With Macarthur Bushwalkers assistance Uncle Allan has decided to develop this website in a bid to warn the public of the environmental damage and destruction planned by the mining industry to the water sources found on the Woronora Plateau.

Authorised by the NSW State Government severe damage has already occurred

Uncle Allan's view is that life on the Woronora will dramatically change if better methods of protecting the environment against longwall mining aren't adopted. Allan has seen massive damage wrought on the rivers and creeks of his tribal lands by the mining industry. He feels that not only the flora and fauna will suffer, so will the people of Sydney, Southern Highlands, Sutherland Shire and the Illawarra.

As the mining industry expands its operations under the Woronora Plateau and Dharawal State Recreation Area (SRA) the water supply will decrease by disappearing through cracks in the rock under the swamps, creeks and rivers. These cracks are caused by the mining industries longwall mining process. The responsibility for protecting our environment against such damage rests with the NSW government which seems incapable of developing guidelines and legislation to control the activities of the mining industry.

The mining industry reaps the benefits - you count the cost

It seems the mining industry can damage our environment with impunity, reap the financial rewards and walk away scot free without cleaning up their mess. The cleaning up is left for you, the NSW tax payer.

The need to be aware of our environment

We Australians, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike need to be aware of the environment we live in and how to protect it.
In the past Australian aborigines were a nomadic people through necessity which guaranteed protection of our environment. We learned through trial and error how to use this land without destroying it. We journeyed from location to location in the search for food and water.

Artifacts
Sacred Sites

Simpson's Creek, Whale Cave - sacred sites on the Woronora plateau

• Simpson's Creek - undermined by BHP Billiton illawarra Coal
• Whale Cave - undermined by BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal
• Waratah Rivulet Camp Site - Giant Emu, sandstone irrigation, sharpening grooves, ceremonial marking, new cracks fro longwall mining

Catchments
Creeks
Rivers

O'Hares Creek, Waratah Rivulet, Georges River- Dry creeks and river beds

• Waratah Rivulet - Peabody Pacific owns the Metropolitan Colliery that is mining under the Waratah Rivulet.
• When the river runs dry
• O'Hares Creek - area longwall mined by Illawarra Coal

Sydney's Water Supply

Sydney Catchment Authorities Upper Canal

• Simpson's Creek Upper Canal - undermined in the 90's by BHP Billiton illawarra Coal and adjacent to the Illawarra Coal's Dendrobium mine.

Damage to aboriginal sacred sites - loss of water in Simpsons Creek near Appin

The damage to Simpson's Creek is typical of the increasing damage being discovered on the creeks and river systems of the Woronora Plateau and its catchments. At one time Simpsons Creek was part of the Nepean River catchment and the Sydney water supply.

The water which once flowed past the two caves and helped sustain the Wadi Wadi people of the past has now gone, disappearing down cracks in the badly fractured creek bed. Some of the cracks are now overgrown with grass.

The second cave further downstream is collapsing, the creek bed and walls of the gorge are badly damaged for hundreds of metres. Our initial impression was of a major storm traveling down the creek because of the fallen trees and boulders.

Whale cave rock art

This cave was a meeting place, a sacred site, a place to live, an art gallery, it has great spiritual significance to the Wadi Wadi people.

One wonders how the people of Sydney would react either of St Andrews or St Mary's Cathedrals were treated in such a way. There would be a huge outcry if this were to happen to the State Library or one of Sydneys museums or art galleries.

Visit - Whale Cave Page to see the true extent of the damage.

One must ask how damage of this magnitude to aboriginal culture can take place and not be publicised. Allan informed us that there were politicians and mining executives who were made aware of the damage but little has been published about either the Whale Cave or Simpsons Creek.

Marhnyes Hole near Appin on the Upper Georges River was also smashed by BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal. The company grouted the cracks but the grout is now failing.

The Woronora Plateau and its catchments

O'Hares Creek and the Upper Georges River, both tributaries of Georges River lost their water flow for long periods of time in 2010, both now flow only after rain. The Woolwash where both tributaries merge are recorded on photograph by the Macarthur Bushwalkers with water levels dropping over 300 mm in a two week period during May 2010. All water flow had ceased leaving the river bed exposed.

The Cataract River, also located on the Woronora Plateau is documented as having stopped flowing at least twenty times in recent years.

The Waratah Rivulet also has a river bed badly smashed by longwall mining, it is reported that water flows only after rain. Exactly the same circumstances as Georges Rivers O'Hares Creek and Upper Catchment from Cataract through Appin

Federal and state legal system systems

The Australian government and its legal system does not recognise the importance of the long term damage to the rain forests, creeks, estuaries and waterways of Australia's indigenous people. In doing so their history and culture is being destroyed by the race to gain wealth from the mining of coal and other minerals.

To deliberately and knowingly destroy the history and culture of a people who first appeared in Australia over 65,000 years ago could be seen as a form of genocide.

It is sheer arrogance and stupidity to ignore the expertise and local knowledge of those same people. The mining industry has certainly failed despite their so called expertise. The NSW government has also ignored the scientific bodies who they set up to advise them on such matters.

Longwall mining - our biggest challenge

Each and everyone of us now faces an even even bigger challenge. The challenge of longwall mining and the greed brought about by the discovery of minerals, in particular coal.

The open cast coal mines of the Hunter Valley and elsewhere have created gaping sores on our landscapes for long periods of time which often affect our rivers. The mining industry boasts of the amount of rock which will be removed and the minerals which they can profit from, even the size of the holes they will dig.
They do not however boast of the amount of water they will use in their mining process nor its source.

Australian Aborigine: The Greatest Migration in History

Research now shows that approximately 70,000 years ago when the sea levels were low a small number of people migrated from Africa's Great Rift Valley. They crossed the Red Sea from Ethiopia into Yemen then spread out through the middle east into Europe, Asia and North America. Within 2 to 3,000 years of leaving Africa these people had journeyed through the Middle East, India, Asia, down through Indonesia to the North Coast of Australia.

Some Northern Aboriginal tribes have left rock paintings which can be seen today showing their place of origin to the north.

This would have to be the one of the greatest migrations in history.

Many of the aboriginal tribes believe that they have been in Australia from the very beginning which after 65,000 years is pretty close to the truth. It appears that no other race on this planet has adhered to their history and culture like Australia's indigenous people.

The very same people whose culture and history is now rapidly being lost thanks to longwall mining and the blinkered vision of the NSW government and its inept politicians.

Please visit the Australian Aboriginal history timeline

Australian Aboriginal history is the only history that grows both ways - forward into the present and backwards into the past as new scientific methods indicate that archaeological sites are much older than originally thought.

Wadi Wadi tribe

When rivers run dry

As you sit in your car in slow moving traffic, await your turn in a hospital waiting room, wait for your train which is running late or are confused by the constant education system issues you might wonder if it can get any worse. The answer is YES! It can get worse.

As Australia's population expands to a planned 30 million of more, where are the resources to support them?.

In recent years we have had water restrictions, in the future it is likely that those restrictions may get worse. Imagine queuing in Sydneys streets with plastic containers for your drinking water or to collect washing water.

Only you, the people of NSW and Sydney can change this scenario. We have an inept, immoral, irresponsible government that is willing to sacrifice your rights for the dollar and to keep their jobs.

The Rudd government have proved beyond doubt with their mining tax that dealing with the multi-national mining companies should be left to the Federal Government. State governments do not have the resources, strength and experience to deal with these multi nationals.

Please visit:

• Macarthur Bushwalkers - Bushwalking, cycling and Project Georges River Macarthur.
• Project Georges River Macarthur - Photographic record of environmental damage inflicted on the Woronora Catchment and Sydneys water supply by the mining industry.

View the Sydney dam levels

The rivers which start on the Woronora plateau affect the people of Macarthur, Southern Highlands, Illawarra, Sutherland Shire, Penrith, Campbelltown and Sydney.

Affected dams are the Avon, Cataract, Cordeaux, Nepean, Warragamba and Woronora.

This link will take you to I Live In Sydney.com where you can view Current Sydney Dam levels and current statistics

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