DOCSLIB.ORG

Representations . Rationales . Power

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Representations . Rationales . Power A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Science, Technology and Society Program University of Wollongong REPRESENTATIONS . RATIONALES . POWER STOCKLAND TRUST GROUP’S PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN AND THE BATTLE OVER KURADJI SANDON POINT Colin Salter October 2003 Cover photo’s (from left to right): Sacred Fire, McCauleys Beach, 2002 Uncle Guboo & Friends at the Sandon Point Aboriginal Tent Embassy, 2001 Sandon Point Community picket, 2001 Outside NSW state parliament, Macquarie Street Sydney, 20 March 2002 The Valentine’s Day Blockade, 14 February 2002 Photo’s not specifically credited were supplied by members of the local community. AUTHORS CERTIFICATION I, Colin Salter, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in the Science, Technology and Society Program, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Colin Salter 8 October 2003 They will justify their actions in the name of 'development'... development? What the first peoples of the [world] need is 'recovery', not development. Recovery from the very same colonization, domination and genocide that multinational corporations want to perpetuate for their own gains today. Leonard Peltier. i REPRESENTATIONS . RATIONALES . POWER ii abstract The future of an area known as Kuradji Sandon Point, located 70km south of Sydney, is currently under dispute. The area is of immense significance to Indigenous people, indicated by its use as a burial ground, campsite and meeting place stretching back to the dreamtime. It is also a special place for the local community, comprising one of the last open spaces connecting the Illawarra escarpment to the sea. Community (non- Indigenous) struggles to keep the area open space stretch back almost 20 years, with the current dispute arising following the purchase of significant parcels of the area by Stockland Trust Group, a multi- billion dollar corporate entity with a major focus on the acquisition and conversion of free-hold lands for housing, in the late 1990s. This paper, an example of intervention-oriented research, comprises an analysis of the corporate public relations campaign mobilised by Stockland to marginalise, distort and overcome widespread community opposition to its proposal for the Kuradji Sandon Point area. The strategies and tactics adopted by Stockland to capitalise on power imbalances, specifically attempts to misrepresent, discredit and marginalise opposing viewpoints, are analysed with specific attention to chronological shifts in context, and the subsequent dynamic, responsive and pragmatic approaches to these shifts. A similar approach to Bent Flyvbjerg’s empirical case study of politics, administration and planning in the Danish town of Aalborg is adopted in this analysis, albeit with points of departure. Accordingly, five context specific propositions are developed that outline the relationships between rationality and power and knowledge and power implicit and explicit to the Stockland public relations campaign. iii REPRESENTATIONS . RATIONALES . POWER iv preface A FEW PERSONAL CONCERNS… This document focuses on the latest in an ongoing struggle over land and space – a struggle undertaken by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Thus, to provide an indication of the historical context of the current struggle, a brief overview of Indigenous histories and Indigenous Significance of the Kuradji Sandon Point area are included. I acknowledge that, as a non-Indigenous person, I am not fully aware, and never will have a complete understanding, of the Indigenous issues I have overviewed. Thus, whilst I have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of what is included here, I apologise in advance for any oversights that may appear in this thesis – I sincerely hope there are none. I have only included details that Indigenous people have shared, and I have attempted to make no speculations or inferences based on this information. A main concern I had when first contemplating research into this struggle was the immense scope of the issue. This concern has continued to increase. As I delved deeper for more information, new issues arose that were more than worthy of attention. I still feel that my research has barely scratched the surface, and may not do justice to the issue. I ask that all who read this take this on board. I say this not to discourage, but to inspire others to tackle different aspects of this struggle. It is only through collective effort that what has transpired can be finally exposed for the benefit of all. v REPRESENTATIONS . RATIONALES . POWER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to the members of the Sandon Point Aboriginal Tent Embassy (SPATE) for the many hours they have allowed me to share with them, the generosity they have shown and support they have given me over many years. This has taken many forms, including the sharing of knowledge firstly for my personal benefit and secondly for this research. In the face of cultural destruction they are exposed to on a daily basis, they have stood strong when others would be unable. Their strength is an inspiration. I am also indebted to the local (non-Indigenous) community. I had previously worked with a small number of these people on a wide range of environmental and/or social justice issues, yet was not prepared for the depth of community strength that I witnessed when I became involved in this issue. My involvement in this dispute began in late 2001, almost 20 years after members of the community had made their first stand to save and protect the area as public space. The struggle has brought the community closer together and shown what an amazing, self-less, eccentric, eclectic and diverse group of people committed to issues they consider of utmost importance can achieve. They are also an inspiration. Many members of the local community, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, have provided comments, feedback and insights on the numerous drafts of this work, stretching back to its conception. Yet, to thank only these people would be a major oversight. My research is only one small aspect of broader and, at the least, equally valuable efforts that have been undertaken by hundreds of people to highlight what is occurring at Kuradji Sandon Point. My appreciation and support goes out to all those involved in this, and other, struggles: without community struggle, there would be no community. I would also like to extend my gratitude to those not directly involved in the struggle who have helped in many ways. These include all those willing to listen when I have wanted to share thoughts and ideas, those with whom I have conspired, and those wanting to keep informed. The process of discussing and sharing has provided immense benefit. vi PREFACE When I first contemplated researching this case study, the support and advice of Rhonda Roberts proved invaluable. Without it, I do not know if both my knowledge and research would have occupied so much of my brain (and my life) as it does today. During this time, I also drew on the support and advice of David Mercer. He provided both an invaluable insight and views from a standpoint I had not contemplated. Thankyou. As this work draws to completion, I have increasingly required the support of my supervisor Brain Martin. He has selflessly provided advice and support whenever I have asked and at times when needed but not asked for. As the submission date closes in, I am sure I will rely on him further. This is thus a thanks both retrospectively and in advance. I would also like to thank those I have shared my non-research time with, including many of those undertaking their own research projects. They have provided the vast support that I have required. I hope they know who they are, and I hope to be there when you all need the same. vii REPRESENTATIONS . RATIONALES . POWER viii contents A FEW PERSONAL CONCERNS… ............................................................................................................... V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. VI 1. POWER, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INTERVENTION-ORIENTED RESEARCH ........................ 1 RECONSTRUCTIVISM, PARTISANSHIP AND INTERVENTION-ORIENTED RESEARCH ...........................4 THE RISE OF ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATE PUBLIC RELATIONS...............................................6 RATIONALITY AND POWER...........................................................................................................................7 THESIS OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................9 2. A DREAMING TRAIL, A LAND DEVOID… .................................................................................. 11 THE DREAMING… ........................................................................................................................................12 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION .......................................................................................................................13 A SACRED PLACE….....................................................................................................................................14 A TERRA NULLIUS
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Rise of the Australian Greens
    Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services Parliamentary Library Information, analysis and advice for the Parliament RESEARCH PAPER www.aph.gov.au/library 22 September 2008, no. 8, 2008–09, ISSN 1834-9854 The rise of the Australian Greens Scott Bennett Politics and Public Administration Section Executive summary The first Australian candidates to contest an election on a clearly-espoused environmental policy were members of the United Tasmania Group in the 1972 Tasmanian election. Concerns for the environment saw the emergence in the 1980s of a number of environmental groups, some contested elections, with successes in Western Australia and Tasmania. An important development was the emergence in the next decade of the Australian Greens as a unified political force, with Franklin Dam activist and Tasmanian MP, Bob Brown, as its nationally-recognised leader. The 2004 and 2007 Commonwealth elections have resulted in five Australian Green Senators in the 42nd Parliament, the best return to date. This paper discusses the electoral support that Australian Greens candidates have developed, including: • the emergence of environmental politics is placed in its historical context • the rise of voter support for environmental candidates • an analysis of Australian Greens voters—who they are, where they live and the motivations they have for casting their votes for this party • an analysis of the difficulties such a party has in winning lower house seats in Australia, which is especially related to the use of Preferential Voting for most elections • the strategic problems that the Australian Greens—and any ‘third force’—have in the Australian political setting • the decline of the Australian Democrats that has aided the Australian Greens upsurge and • the question whether the Australian Greens will ever be more than an important ‘third force’ in Australian politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Independents in Australian Parliaments
    The Age of Independence? Independents in Australian Parliaments Mark Rodrigues and Scott Brenton* Abstract Over the past 30 years, independent candidates have improved their share of the vote in Australian elections. The number of independents elected to sit in Australian parliaments is still small, but it is growing. In 2004 Brian Costar and Jennifer Curtin examined the rise of independents and noted that independents ‘hold an allure for an increasing number of electors disenchanted with the ageing party system’ (p. 8). This paper provides an overview of the current representation of independents in Australia’s parliaments taking into account the most recent election results. The second part of the paper examines trends and makes observations concerning the influence of former party affiliations to the success of independents, the representa- tion of independents in rural and regional areas, and the extent to which independ- ents, rather than minor parties, are threats to the major parities. There have been 14 Australian elections at the federal, state and territory level since Costar and Curtain observed the allure of independents. But do independents still hold such an allure? Introduction The year 2009 marks the centenary of the two-party system of parliamentary democracy in Australia. It was in May 1909 that the Protectionist and Anti-Socialist parties joined forces to create the Commonwealth Liberal Party and form a united opposition against the Australian Labor Party (ALP) Government at the federal level.1 Most states had seen the creation of Liberal and Labor parties by 1910. Following the 1910 federal election the number of parties represented in the House * Dr Mark Rodrigues (Senior Researcher) and Dr Scott Brenton (2009 Australian Parliamentary Fellow), Politics and Public Administration Section, Australian Parliamentary Library.
    [Show full text]
  • Casualties of the Domestic 'War on Terror': A
    —M.U.L.R- Tham - pre-press completed.docCasualties of the Domestic ‘War on Terror’ — printed 1/10/2004 at 12:13 PM — page 512 of 20 CRITIQUE AND COMMENT CASUALTIES OF THE DOMESTIC ‘WAR ON TERROR’: A REVIEW OF RECENT COUNTER-TERRORISM LAWS JOO-CHEONG THAM∗ [This article reviews three recent counter-terrorism laws, namely, the Criminal Code Amendment (Hamas and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba) Act 2003 (Cth), the ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2003 (Cth) and the Criminal Code Amendment (Terrorist Organisations) Act 2004 (Cth). It contends that these laws demonstrate that the domestic ‘War on Terror’ has inflicted casualties in two ways. First, these laws have undermined the democratic process of law-making. This has occurred because the Criminal Code Amendment (Hamas and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba) Act 2003 (Cth) and the ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2003 (Cth) have each been passed with indecent haste. Moreover, the justifications for all three pieces of legislation have been riddled with serious misrepresentations. Second, the adverse impact of these laws travels beyond the democratic process of law-making. Separately and collectively, these laws stifle public discussion, implicitly sanction lawlessness by ASIO and confer arbitrary power upon the executive. More than this, they also undermine efforts to prevent extreme acts of ideological or religious violence.] CONTENTS I Introduction ...........................................................................................................512 II Outline of the Legislation ......................................................................................514
    [Show full text]
  • Within China's Orbit? Chapter Three: Foreign Policy and 'Identity Stuff': Hu Jintao Addresses the Australian Parliament
    Chapter Three: Foreign Policy and ‘Identity Stuff’: Hu Jintao Addresses the Australian Parliament Chinese President Hu Jintao‘s address to a joint meeting of the Australian Parliament in October 2003 was a landmark event in the history of Australia–China relations. A moment of great ceremonial and symbolic significance, it represented a highpoint in the Howard Government‘s engagement with China. This chapter examines President Hu‘s address to the Australian Parliament from a range of perspectives. It begins by giving consideration to the history of parliamentary addresses by foreign heads of state, before turning to examine the addresses of President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Howard. Having provided an account of the way that these addresses came to offer some unexpected insights into the complexities that underscore the Australia–China relationship, it places the two addresses within the context of John Howard‘s regional diplomacy. Prior to October 2003, only two foreign heads of state had addressed a joint meeting of the Australian Parliament: United States President George Bush senior (January 1992) and United States President Bill Clinton (November 1996). On each occasion, the parliamentary setting had been chosen to honour the shared traditions of representative government and parliamentary democracy. When Parliament was recalled in late October 2003, in what Prime Minister John Howard referred to as ‗an unprecedented sequencing of speeches‘, Parliament would be addressed on consecutive days by the United States President, George W. Bush, and the President of the People‘s Republic of China, Hu Jintao.1 The British House of Commons and the United States Congress have contrasting positions on inviting guests to address their legislative assemblies.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence from Cunningham
    University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive) Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities 1-1-2005 The Green Constituency - Evidence From Cunningham Stephen M. Brown University of Wollongong, [email protected] Damien Cahill Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Brown, Stephen M. and Cahill, Damien, The Green Constituency - Evidence From Cunningham 2005, 1-15. https://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/601 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] 1 The Green Constituency - Evidence From Cunningham There has been much interest during recent years in the factors underpinning a rise in support for the Greens in Australian politics. For several years, the Greens have laid claim to the title of a third force in Australian politics. Their leader, Bob Brown, is now one of the more recognizable politicians in the news media. At the 2004 Federal election, support for the Greens easily surpassed, for the first time, that of the Democrats, hitherto the Greens’ main rival in the 'third political force' stakes. Examining the Federal seat of Cunningham as a case study, this paper seeks to make a contribution to our understanding of the broader Greens' demographic in Australia. Cunningham in New South Wales (NSW) was a safe Labor seat from its inception in 1949 until a by-election on 19 October 2002 when the seat was won by Michael Organ of the Greens.
    [Show full text]
  • The ALP's Defeat at the Cunningham By-Election
    Laboring to Win: The ALP’s Defeat at the Cunningham By-election (2002) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Scott Denton B.A. (Hons.) SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES 2010 ii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I, Scott Denton, hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. Signed: Date: iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of tables, graphs, maps, diagrams and illustrations vi-ix List of abbreviations x Acknowledgements xi Abstract xii Map of the Cunningham Electorate xiii Introduction 1-32 Thesis description and aims 1 PART ONE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY 1.1 The role of by-election research in Australia and internationally 3 1.2 Causes and trends in relation to federal by-elections 6 1.3 Thesis Methodology 8 1.4 Data Sources
    [Show full text]
  • AEC Annual Report 2002-03
    for only Archived AnnualAustralian Electoral Repor Commission historical 2002–03 Annual Report research t AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Australian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2002–03 Produced by: Australian Electoral Commission Project Managed by: Shirley Weber Printed by: National Capital Printing (02) 6280 7477 Coordinated and edited by: WordsWorth Writing (02) 6232 7511 Designed by: SpinCreative (02) 6260for 3881 Web address of this report: <www.aec.gov.au/what/publications> Contact offi cer: Director Information Australian Electoral Commission West Block Offi ces Queen Victoria Terrace Parkes ACT 2600 PO Box 6172 Kingston ACT 2604 Telephone: (02) 6271 4411 only Fax: (02) 6271 4558 Email: [email protected] Website: <www.aec.gov.au> ArchivedISBN 0 642 51907 2 ISSN 0814-4508 © Commonwealth ofhistorical Australia 2003 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Intellectual Property Branch, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601, or posted at <www.dcita.gov.au/cca>.research for only Letter of transmittal Archived historical research 9 September 2003 iv AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2002–03 Contents
    [Show full text]
  • Dissent.Dissent
    Dissent.Dissent. DISRUPT Social Justice Journal Sydney University Law Society 2017 Dissent. DISRUPT Sydney University Law Society Social Justice Journal 2017 ISSN: 1839-1508 Design Christina Zhang (Design Officer) Rina Yang (Cover Art) Emily Shen (Publications Officer) Editor-in-Chief Subeta Vimalarajah Editorial Board Umeya Chaudhuri Wendy Chen Rachel Irwin Alison Xiao Printing Megacolour Special Thanks Sally Kirk (VP - Social Justice) Special Thanks to our Sponsor Dissent. DISRUPT Social Justice Journal Sydney University Law Society 2017 ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY Bujari gamarruwa ‘Good Day’ in Gadical language. We acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land that the University of Sydney is built upon. The Gadical People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge that this was and always will be Aboriginal Land and are proud to be on the lands of one of the oldest surviving cultures in existence. We respect the knowledge that traditional elders and Aboriginal people hold and pass on from generation to generation, and acknowledge the continuous fight for constitutional reform and treaty recognition to this day. We regret that white supremacy has been used to justify Indigenous dispossession, colonial rule and violence in the past, in particular, a legal and political system that still to this date doesn’t provide Aboriginal people with justice. Rachel Durmush – SULS First Nations Officer 00 EDITOR’S FOREWORD SUBETA VIMALARAJAH For many, ‘disrupt’ recalls mass protests start up culture is, in light of our insolvency and activists. Yet in the last decade, ‘disrupt’ laws, and Lucas walks us through the potential has taken on a new meaning. Far from its inadequacies of international treaties relating to radical roots, ‘disrupt’ has been co-opted by drones.
    [Show full text]
  • The Good Oil on the Greens
    THE GOOD OIL ON THE GREENS 30TH ANNIVERSARY PETRA KELLY 1947-1992, FOUNDER OF THE GERMAN GREENS: “For the Greens, parliamentary work should be of benefit to our many supporters at grass-roots level; it must never be undertaken for its own sake.” Photographs and posters – we acknowledge all contributions. Unfortunately in most cases we don’t know who the photographers and poster designers are. Authorised and printed by Senator Lee Rhiannon, 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW 2010. CONTENT FOREWORD THE GREENS - HOW WE BEGAN BY HALL GREENLAND MORE GOOD OIL (1984) FIRST POLICY DOCUMENT PRODUCED BY THE GREENS IN AUSTRALIA GREENS PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY FOREWORD The Greens – how we began It's not possible to talk of the founding of the Greens 30 years ago without mentioning Tony Harris (1948-2013). As well as taking the initiative to launch the Greens, Tony is responsible for some of the key things about the Greens that we still value so much. Tony’s story is fairly typical. As a student in Canberra and a country boy from Orange, he was radicalised in the 1960s and joined the Labor party during the heyday of the Whitlam years. However, by the early 1980s he was convinced that Labor was exhausted as a serious vehicle for change. As early as 1982 he was talking of the need for a Green Party in Australia along the lines of the German Greens. There were differences between the two countries but there were telling parallels too. Both countries had large anti-nuclear movements, a growing ecological awareness and a body of ’60s and ’70s radicals searching for a way beyond capitalism and bureaucratic socialism.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Library Briefing Book Key Issues for the 43Rd Parliament Foreword
    Pa rliament of Australia Department of Pa rliamentary Services INFORMATION ANALYSIS ADVICE PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY BRIEFING BOOK KEY ISSUES FOR THE 43RD PARLIAMENT Foreword This Briefing Book has been written to assist senators and members to prepare for significant issues that are expected to arise in the early months of the 43rd Parliament. It presents a brief introduction to areas of key public policy concern, outlines the context for those concerns and discusses possible new policy and legislative directions. The issues are presented in summary form. Senators and members are encouraged to contact the Parliamentary Library researchers identified against each contribution for further assistance © Copyright 2010 Commonwealth of Australia with confidential oral or written briefing, analysis The federal election of 2010 produced the first or information. In addition, individual senators This work is copyright. Except to the extent of uses permitted by the Copyright hung parliament since 1940. The Gillard Labor and members can request research on any Act 1968, no person may reproduce or transmit any part of this work by any Government retained power by the smallest parliamentary and policy issue by contacting the process without the prior written consent of the Parliamentary Librarian. This possible majority with the support of three Parliamentary Library. Requests can be made requirement does not apply to members of the Parliament of Australia acting in independents and the Australian Greens. To through: the course of their official duties. secure a governing coalition, the Australian Labor Party committed to a series of wide-ranging • the Library’s Central Enquiry Point (extension This work has been prepared to support the work of the Australian Parliament parliamentary reforms with the Australian Greens 2500), or using information available at the time of production.
    [Show full text]
  • The Australian Greens at the 2004 Federal Election
    Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 2005 Great expectations: The Australian Greens at the 2004 Federal Election Michael Beard Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Other Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Beard, M. (2005). Great expectations: The Australian Greens at the 2004 Federal Election. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/1180 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/1180 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form.
    [Show full text]