APPENDIX 7 Aboriginal Archaeology, Ethnographic and Historic Heritage Desktop Assessment Desktop Study of Aboriginal Heritage & Historical Issues Relating to the proposed Ethanol Bio-Refinery at Kwinana, Western Australia Prepared for Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd by Australian Interaction Consultants PO Box 90, Osborne Park WA 6917 Tel: (08) 9440 0500 ☯ Fax: (08) 9440 0955 Email: [email protected] June 2006 7004 REPORT ON A DESKTOP STUDY OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ETHANOL BIO-REFINERY AT KWINANA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Australian Interaction Consultants (AIC) was engaged to prepare a preliminary desktop survey to advise Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited (Umwelt) on the Aboriginal heritage & Historical issues relating to the Kwinana Industrial Area. Primary Energy Pty Limited has proposed to establish an Ethanol Bio-Refinery in Kwinana Beach, with Umwelt preparing environmental documentation for the project, to be submitted to the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Environment sometime in 2006. The Kwinana Industrial Area is located south of Fremantle and just north of Rockingham in Western Australia. The proposed site for the Ethanol Bio-Refinery is a 20-hectare portion of land at Kwinana Beach, part of Cockburn Sound location 244. The area will be extensively developed. There has been no systematic survey conducted in the proposed development area (PDA) although there have been several surveys conducted in the general vicinity. A current search of the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) database does not identify any previously recorded Aboriginal sites within the boundaries of the Kwinana PDA itself. However, the DIA search found five (5) sites within a 5 km radius of the PDA. DIA archival research brought up thirty-two (32) reports for the wider Rockingham/Kwinana and surrounding areas, of which six (6) were relevant to the current project area. In addition, one other report (Locke and Smith 1990) was forwarded to AIC by Mr. Peter Jamieson, Director at Umwelt. The Native Title Claim covering this area is: Combined Single Noongar – WAG6006/03 (WC03/006) Ballaruk – WAG0149/98 (WC95/086) Australian Interaction Consultants formulated the following conclusions: • The project area has minimal archaeological potential for Aboriginal cultural heritage sites. • The project area has the potential for ethnographic Aboriginal cultural heritage sites. • The project area has minimal potential for significant historical archaeological sites. • The project area has been extensively disturbed by European development, especially in recent history. Primarily, the development of infrastructure and industrial areas, but to a lesser extent recreational use and use as a rubbish tip. • That additional archaeological and ethnographic work will have to be undertaken prior to development to ensure that all requirements under the Act (1972) are fulfilled including consent to use the land under Section 18 of the Act. CONFIDENTIAL REPORT PREPARED FOR UMWELT (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD BY AIC - 2 - REPORT ON A DESKTOP STUDY OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ETHANOL BIO-REFINERY AT KWINANA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Based on the research findings presented in this paper and the above conclusions, AIC makes the following recommendations to ensure the developer gives due diligence to the obligations of the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972): • that Primary Energy Pty Limited continues with their proposed developments at Kwinana Beach by undertaking a site identification survey under the Act. • that Primary Energy Pty Limited undertakes a full archaeological survey of the area prior to any ground disturbing works to ensure that any archaeological Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are located and recorded within the development area. • that Primary Energy Pty Limited undertakes a full ethnographic consultation and survey of the area prior to any ground disturbing works to ensure that any ethnographic Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are located and recorded within the development area. • that Aboriginal Native Title Claimants for the proposed development area are consulted early during development process and are regularly informed of progress at the proposed development site. • that all Primary Energy Pty Limited staff and contractors are made fully aware of their obligations and responsibilities under the Act (1972) CONFIDENTIAL REPORT PREPARED FOR UMWELT (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD BY AIC - 3 - REPORT ON A DESKTOP STUDY OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ETHANOL BIO-REFINERY AT KWINANA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Abbreviations ACMC Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee AIC Australian Interaction Consultants DIA Department of Indigenous Affairs NTC Native Title Claimant Group The Act Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) PDA Proposed Development Area Disclaimer AIC attempts to give voice to the Indigenous people who take part in surveys such as the one reported here. We neither claim the knowledge revealed to us, nor can we necessarily vouch for the veracity of the information given. We do, however, consult with people whom we consider to have the best knowledge of the area being surveyed. In instances where no ethnographic information is presented, it should not be presumed that heritage values are not present. Often, we are told by Indigenous people that they have not known the consultant sufficiently well, or that they have not been in the appropriate company, and have claimed ignorance of places that they may identify as a site at a different time, under different circumstances. Within this report we have intended that only the fact of a site be recorded. This report is not designed to be the basis of the recording of sites – it is designed to advise the client of those places that may need to be accommodated under the Act. More elaborate details of the place or object will be provided in the site recording forms that AIC will submit to DIA to enable the site recording process to be completed. GPS Datum The GPS datum used during this survey was either WGS 84 or MGA 94. Limitations Whereas we endeavour to pinpoint geographical/site locations, the limitations of handheld GPS devices will create inaccuracies on occasion. Also, the potential for error from datum shift is ever present. CONFIDENTIAL REPORT PREPARED FOR UMWELT (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD BY AIC - 4 - REPORT ON A DESKTOP STUDY OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ETHANOL BIO-REFINERY AT KWINANA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................2 CURRENT PROPOSAL AND AREA ASSESSED..................................................6 DESKTOP REPORT METHODOLOGY.................................................................9 DESKTOP ..................................................................................................................10 Previously Recorded Sites .....................................................................................10 Heritage Survey Reports .......................................................................................12 ETHNOGRAPHIC HISTORY.................................................................................17 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND................................................................26 Archaeological Significance ..................................................................................26 Archaeological Background..................................................................................26 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY.............................................................................31 Methodology ...........................................................................................................31 Results .....................................................................................................................31 Discussion................................................................................................................33 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................34 RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................35 REFERENCES...........................................................................................................36 APPENDIX I GLOSSARY OF TERMS..................................................................40 APPENDIX II: ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ACT (1972).....................................41 This report is a result of the combined efforts of the AIC team: Annie Moloney BA (Hons) Anthropology Fieldwork, research, reporting Damien Lyndon BA Media Report redaction Ryan Coughlan BA (Hons) Archaeology Fieldwork, reporting Shane Burke PhD Archaeology Fieldwork, reporting Damien Lafrentz BA Anthropology Fieldwork, research, reporting Stephen Morgan MA Applied Anthropology Proofing CONFIDENTIAL REPORT PREPARED FOR UMWELT (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD BY AIC - 5 - REPORT ON A DESKTOP STUDY OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ISSUES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ETHANOL BIO-REFINERY AT KWINANA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA CURRENT PROPOSAL AND AREA ASSESSED Primary Energy Pty Limited proposes to establish an Ethanol Bio-Refinery in the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Fremantle in Western Australia. The proposed facility will use Western Australian wheat to produce up to 160 million litres of fuel grade ethanol per year, which could reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from the