Noonkanbah work starts

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 8

Noonkanbah work starts

NZPA • Drilling at the controversial Noonkanbah site in Western Australia’s north began yesterday. The state Premier (Sir Charles .Court) announced that the working of the rig was being done by a West Australian company, Omen Pty, Ltd, and was proceeding normally. > , J He said that tnere had; been no reaction yet from; the Noonkanbah Aboriginal communhy, which asserts that the site is sacred to them. The state’s Mines Minister (Mr Peter Jones) said Omen had been formed specifically for the Noonkanbah job and was one of several drilling

options available to the Government. The company had approached the Government and he did not know if it was tied to any big mining company. Neither did he know if the men involved were members of any. trade union. T w e n t y-one Australian Workers’ Union men earmarked to run the oil drilling rig earlier this month. re T fused to do so until the whole question of sacred Aboriginal sites and drilling was settled.

On Thursday the chairman of the Aboriginal Lands Trust (Mr Ken Colbung) called for bans on oil drilling at Noonkanbah to be lifted.

But his personal feelings were unchanged. “I continue, to stand against mining,"'he said. “If I wasn’t chairman of the trust I’d be one of the people slinging mud at the chairman. Anybody can see from my past record how I stand. i

“But as chairman of the trust I have the responsibility to represent the views of the people at Noonkanbah.”

He said he had just spent two weeks touring the Kimberleys, talking with Aboriginals and a “significant number” had asked him to get the bans lifted. Mr Colbung would not say how many Aboriginals had made the request.