Two big updates Below is an update from Adrian Burragubba, on behalf of the Wangan and Jagalingou people — Traditional Owners of land in Queensland where multi-billion dollar company Adani wants to build their Carmichael coal mine.

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Hi NEVILLE,

Adrian Burragubba here.

Today, Wangan and Jagalingou people are announcing two huge moments in our campaign to defend our rights and culture, and protect our ancestral lands and waters from Adani’s monstrous Carmichael coal mine.

First, we’ve filed an appeal and judicial review in the Federal Court of Australia. I made a trip to personally deliver the court papers to Adani’s Australian CEO this morning.

We’re challenging the decision of Australia’s National Native Title Tribunal that says the Queensland Government can issue mining leases for the mine. It’s an unprecedented challenge in the history of Native Title Tribunal decisions.

This historic action is funded by you and many other people from all across the country. For helping us make this landmark moment happen, thank you.

Second, we’re announcing that in 48 hours we will embark on a world tour to hold high-level talks with investment banks on Wall St, in European finance capitals, and in Asia.

This disastrous mine needs billions of dollars of finance if it is to ever go ahead. We will communicate to the banks that we do not consent to the Carmichael Mine, and the reasons we cannot allow this mine to go ahead. We will remind them that any bank that funds Carmichael will be breaching important human rights principles to which they are a signatory; principles requiring that projects of this scale that massively impact Indigenous Owners and their country have their free, prior and informed consent. We’ll urge them to honour their obligations and commit to ruling out funding for this project.

While in North America, we’re going to meet with First Nations Traditional Owners who are also fighting massive fossil fuel projects, including the tar sands projects in Alberta, Canada. We will learn from them, form alliances, and draw strength from solidarity with other Traditional Owners fighting to defend their culture from destructive mining projects.

I look forward to keeping you updated as we take this fight across the world. For more updates, extra information, to sign our petition or to donate directly go to http://wanganjagalingou.com.au – and share the website with your friends so they can stand with us too.

State and Federal Governments have trampled our rights and interests to approve this mine. Adani has treated us with disrespect, betrayed us and taken aggressive legal action to extinguish our rights.

But now, with the help of you and others, we are fighting back to defend our rights and culture, and protect our ancestral lands and waters. Thank you.

We are willing to do whatever it takes to preserve our heritage and shape a positive future for our people. We won’t rest until this disastrous proposal is thrown on the scrapheap of history. Our people and country will live strong and thrive into the future as they have from time immemorial.

Sincerely,

Adrian Burragubba, on behalf of the Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council