A Quiet Town
A Quiet Town
A Quiet Town
The Salt Water People
The Jerrinja community are the Salt Water People of the Shoalhaven and Kiama, who have been there since the early 1900s. It was their opposition to the development, vocalised by Elder Aunty Delia Lowe at a meeting between the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council (JLALC) board, CEO, members of the Jerrinja Traditional Custodians Group and the NSW Government Independent Planning Commission in July 2018, that kickstarted the investigation into the Halloran proposal and the surrounding debate.
The JLALC was established on September 14, 1994 under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW). It is the largest private landholder, holding, protecting and sustainably managing over 264 Aboriginal land, cultural and heritage sites. In a Facebook post by the JLALC on July 31, 2018, they explained that “Our Culture is a whole lot more than physical evidence of thousands of years of occupation left by our ancestors. It is also the intangible cultural values and beliefs we still hold and feel today. The Jerrinja people are committed to sharing this culture, heritage and land with future generations.”
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Part 5 of the 2014 Halloran Trust development proposal – “Details of Community Consultation” – explains “Meetings have been held with…the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council…It is anticipated that an on-going dialogue with all relevant local communities will be undertaken throughout the course of the preparation of the Master Plan for the Halloran lands.” However, in a letter dated 30 July 2018 from the Board and Representatives of the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council to the NSW Independent Planning Commission, the JLALC expressed their “deep concerns regarding the lack of consultation to date between the proponent “Halloran Trust” and our Jerrinja community and members” and the “irreversible and destructive impact they will have on our culture, our heritage, our community, our future plus our country, waters, flora and fauna.
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DYLAN FARRELL
Culburra resident and a member of the Jerrinja community
27-year-old Dylan Farrell, member of the Jerrinja community and former Rabbitoh, agrees with the lack of communication between developers and locals. He explains how he understands and is for development for the purpose of sustaining community, however only if sufficient consultation has been made, which Mr. Farrell argues Halloran “haven’t really done”, so if the proponents “aren’t going to go about it in the right way”, then he is against development on their land.
It could be argued that the support of the development comes down, in part, to the lack of understanding of Indigenous customs and culture.
Australians Together defines Aboriginal spirituality as “at the core of Aboriginal being, their very identity. It gives meaning to all aspects of life including relationships with one another and the environment. All objects are living and share the same soul and spirit as Aboriginals. There is a kinship with the environment. Aboriginal spirituality can be expressed visually, musically and ceremonially.”
In refute to arguments of those who cannot understand Aboriginal spirituality and its connection to land, Mr. Farrell calls ignorance, believing lack of education on Aboriginal customs to be a poor excuse for lack of understanding. “Before you comment, maybe go and ask one of the (Aboriginal) people,” he says.
Either way, Mr. Farrell concedes that it will happen regardless of whether the Jerrinja want it to or not, as Halloran owns the land, but that the Jerrinja could at least be part of the conversation. “All we can do really is keep being loud with our voices.”
