


Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Inc. |
The following text was extracted from the newspaper article in the Mercury on 17th May 2011. ABORIGINAL protesters at the Brighton bypass have walked away from the site because they cannot bear the destruction of the heritage area any longer. Controversial construction work at the site of 42,000-year-old Aboriginal relics triggered the arrest of 21 protesters in one day last month. Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre spokesman and activist Aaron Everett said yesterday the group had left the site but insisted it would continue to put pressure on State Government infrastructure projects. "We have removed all our stuff from the area," Mr Everett said yesterday. "The community couldn't bear watching the destruction of the site any longer. "They have said 'we can't keep this up and be healthy in ourselves by being on the site watching the destruction'." Mr Everett said the Aboriginal community would continue to put pressure on the Government by continuing its total ban on heritage research work until there was decent legislation to properly protect Aboriginal heritage. Work at the site is expected to pick up in the next week, which coincides with National Reconciliation Week. Mr Everett said it was clear Aboriginal heritage was clearly not on the Government's agenda. "We are certainly looking at other developments and whatever projects the Government is looking at moving on in the future," Mr Everett said. "We will put pressure on every project until the Government starts to see what they are doing is criminal and morally wrong." |