David Nason; 10/11/09
More than 50 years after their ancestral lands were devastated by nuclear testing, the Tjarutja people of western South Australia will next month be handed back the infamous expanse of remote desert the British named Maralinga. After years of legal jousting, plans are being finalised for a formal handover of the land on December 18, the 25th anniversary of the government decision to give back to the Tjarutja what had always been theirs. A delegation of Tjarutja traditional owners will travel to Adelaide next week to seek a speedy passage of legislation necessary for the handover to proceed. “The Tjarutja people are very determined to have the handover on December 18,” lawyer Andrew Collett said yesterday.
Tags: Aboriginal, Arms, Australia, Environment, UK