28 August 2020

The Secretary Senate Inquiry – Juukan Gorge, Western Australia PO Box 6021 Parliament House CANBERRA Canberra ACT 2600

By Email: [email protected]

Dear Secretary re: Response to Starkey Submission to the Senate Inquiry – Juukan Gorge, Western Australia

1. ElectraNet Pty Ltd (ElectraNet) is the principal electricity Transmission Network Service Provider in , operating as part of the National Electricity Market under the National Electricity Rules. 2. ElectraNet acknowledges and respects the traditional owners of the lands and waters. ElectraNet is committed to the protection of sites of cultural significance and works extensively with traditional owners during the planning, construction and maintenance of transmission projects to ensure the protection of sites of cultural significance. 3. ElectraNet formally responds to the submission to the Senate Inquiry made by Messrs Andrew and Robert Starkey (the Starkeys) on 31 July 2020 (Submission) as follows: 4. ElectraNet is undertaking the Prominent Hill Connection Project (Project) in South Australia for its customer OZ Minerals Services Pty Ltd (OZ Minerals). The Project is also known as the ‘Hill to Hill’ project. 5. ElectraNet understands that the Submission is based on personal and/or family cultural knowledge of laws and traditions that the Starkeys believe were not identified and protected ahead of ground disturbing works undertaken for the Project. 6. The Project traverses the native title determination land of three (3) native title groups, namely Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC), Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) and Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation (Nukunu). 7. In advance of Project works being undertaken, the State of South Australia Department for Premier and Cabinet – Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation (DPC-AAR) identified the relevant traditional owner groups representing the Kokatha people, Barngarla people and

Response to Starkey Submission to the Senate Inquiry – Juukan Gorge, Western Australia

Nukunu people in response to the search of the central archive Register of Aboriginal Sites and Objects, undertaken with respect to the Project. 8. The Project was undertaken subject to heritage protection and/or native title agreements in accordance with the advice provided by DPC-AAR. This involved the conduct of heritage surveys in advance of any ground disturbing works and monitoring of infield construction work to ensure the proper identification and protection of Aboriginal sites, objects or remains in line with the abovementioned agreements and as required by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (AHA). 9. Each native title group engaged an archaeologist/anthropologist to prepare detailed survey reports and associated spatial data to advise the location of cultural heritage sites including sites that are registered or recorded on the DPC-AAR central archive Register of Aboriginal Sites and Objects. 10. The Project works were undertaken in accordance with the survey reports and the transmission line was designed to avoid identified sites of significance. Where stringing of transmission lines over a cultural heritage site was unavoidable, monitors were present during stringing activities to protect and manage cultural heritage. 11. Detailed Cultural Heritage Management Plans were developed in collaboration with the heritage teams nominated by KAC and implemented for the Project. These plans included the following: a. Mapping of cultural heritage sites via Geographic Information System; b. In-field flagging-off of all cultural heritage sites by KAC monitors prior to ground disturbing works to physically demarcate the sites; c. In-field cultural heritage monitoring in line with the recommendations in the cultural heritage survey report; d. In the Kokatha Native Title Determination Area this included monitoring of all ground disturbing works, including those at Coorlay Lagoon/Lake Mary, Wirrawiralu and adjacent Roxby Downs which are referenced in the Submission; e. Additional surveys during the construction period where required; and f. Cultural heritage awareness training and induction.

Yours sincerely

Steve Masters Chief Executive

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