Newcastle Council and Worimi Community Work Together to Relocate Stockton Cabins

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Newcastle Council will work with the Worimi Land Council to develop a management plan for an Indigenous Heritage site put at risk by emergency works at Stockton.

A number of cabins were relocated from Stockton Caravan Park to Rawson Park near Stockton Pool, due to recent coastal erosion risks - but members of the Worimi community say they were not initially consulted regarding the works.

Worimi Land Council CEO Andrew Smith says the council's lack of initial communication meant the local community couldn't inform them of the site's cultural significance.

"The problem is, with the augering that they've drilled down to put in the pits, they've actually gone through the remnant soil, and they've exposed a lot of occupational evidence and Aboriginal artefacts, objects, and items that are significant and need to be protected," he said.

The cabins are currently relocated atop an Aboriginal midden site - a type of occupation site where people left the remains of meals and other domestic waste.

Smith says artifacts such as stones, foreign materials, fish bones and shells have archaeological significance and indicate the relationships between different Indigenous groups.

"They're important to us, and it's not a renewable resource. We don't have sandstone buildings sitting in the middle of the street that people can stare at and admire."

"Most of our above surface occupational evidence has been destroyed, and we need to make sure that we as all Australians protect what lays that cultural footprint that sits beneath the many tenures in today's environment."

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says discussions with both Mr Smith and local elder Len Anderson regarding the future of the site have been positive and productive.

"We want to make sure that although Stockton is a natural disaster zone and emergency works have taken place, that they are only done in recognition of this being an Aboriginal place and that any artefacts found are protected and our cultural heritage is preserved."

Newcastle Council will be allowed to anchor the cabins down to manage safety risks in windy weather until they receive approval from Ausgrid regarding power line issues and affected parties reach a resolution regarding the cabins' relocation.

Image credit: Save Stockton Beach

Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council will Investigate Elders Concerns over Stockton Cabin Relocation

BY ISABEL EVERETT

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council will investigate a Worimi elders concern, Newcastle City Council's relocation of 16 cabins from the Stockton Caravan Park  has resulted in "cultural destruction" of the land.

The cabins were moved to an area near Stockton Pool, with reports a local resident is calling for an Interim Protection Order for the land, over concerns damage has been done to culturally significant sites without proper consultation.

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says they will investigate the locals concerns, however their organisation did not raise the issue.

"I wasn't aware of the re-location of the cabin's to that area. The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land council did not lodge, initiate or instigate the complaint over the re-location," CEO of the Council, Andrew Smith said.

"Having said that, as an organisation we have a statutory responsibility to protect cultural heritage. Now that the complaint has been lodged, similar to Newcastle City Council and National Parks, we will have a look at what the concerns are, and what are the non compliance's in relation to the relocation of the cabins."

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says despite possible issues with the re-location, they understand Newcastle City Council's decision to make the move.

"I understand why Council has done it, I get that the Stockton Community have a massive battle in front of them with the beach erosion. I think they are responding the best way they can," Mr Smith said.

"I guess I would have hoped the Council would have undertaken due diligence in relation to the re-location. What's done is done, we just need to make sure we can justify the outcomes and make sure we're not compromising or destroying Aboriginal Heritage."

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says they will meet with Newcastle City Council, and The National Parks and Wildlife Service to discuss the elder's concerns.

"There'll be an onsite meeting to have a look at the location to see if there were spoils of any earth during the moving activity and to see if there's been any disturbance to Aboriginal sites," Mr Smith said.

"And as a result of that a discussion and negotiations will take place, but until we get that information there really isn't any clear position in relation to what the consequences will be."

Mr Smith says he is concerned the community may be under the impression the organisation as a whole made the complaint, rather then a single member.

"The local resident has Worimi Ancestry and as a result people then associate the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council and then the Worimi Community as a whole, and then we all become targeted by social media trolling which is unfortunate."

"We are not the instigators of the complaint, but I fear the wave of repercussions has commenced and it's likely now we are going to start receiving abusive phone calls, and people will start smashing bottles in our drive ways and all sorts of ridiculous stuff."

                                              Relocated Cabins Image Credit: Newcastle Herald