Devils’ Advocate WINTER 2017 A free publication from Contents ALEC Directors’ Welcome The Arid Lands Environment Centre ALEC Directors’ Welcome G’day folks and welcome to the winter edition enabling piece 90 Gap Road, Alice Springs 2017 - ALECs’ Priorities of the Arid Lands Environment Centre’s Devil’s of infrastructure PO Box 2796 Alice Springs NT 0871 EcoFair 2017 Advocate. We’ve got a bumper edition for you to support Ph: (08) 89522497 Fax: (08) 89532988 ALEC Merchandise here which is sure to get you fired up for an fracking. Groups www.alec.org.au [email protected] Northern Territory Economic Plan action packed year ahead. There are so many are organizing A Pipeline to Nowhere issues, actions and initiatives that ALEC is interstate to The Devils Advocate is the quarterly newsletter of Fracking’s Frontier Politics engaged with across Australia’s arid lands. support the the Arid Lands Environment Centre. Pollution & Price: The Cost of Investing in Thankfully we are able to welcome three new #NoNTPL The deadline for submissions for the next Gas staff members to the ALEC team to help us do it campaign. Spring edition is Monday 17th July. RePower Alice Springs Articles, pictures, poetry, letters, welcome. Food for Alice Alex Read has moved to Alice Springs to become Meanwhile, the EIS for the Tellus Chandler Salt Email [email protected] Arid Edge Environmental Services ALEC’s Policy Officer. Alex dived straight into Mine and Permanent (Chemical) Waste Storage Alice Springs Community Garden the role accompanying me in presenting to the project was open for comment – ALEC made All opinions expressed within Devils Advocate Ten Deserts Fracking Inquiry hearing within his first hour. He a submission and also worked to support the are those of the author alone, unless explicitly 60,000 Artists: Climate Change Exhibition has since made submissions on the Tellus Salt community of Titjikala understanding the nature expressed. ALEC Workshops and Waste Storage project, Economic Summits of the storage facility, the plans for toxic waste Welcome to New ALEC Staff and the Strategic Indigenous Reserves for water, storage and the permanence of ‘geological time’. The Devils Advocate is edited and designed Ilparpa Claypans Lovers he is currently working on the Fracking Inquiry The community has since made a submission by Nicole Pietsch, ALEC’s Communications Tell uS Straight: More about Waste Than Salt and learning quickly about the landscape here, to the EPA. ALEC has been asked to present to and Campaigns Manager. It is printed on 100% Stop Adani both in the policy and natural worlds. a wider audience and will be doing so in coming recycled paper. Mining Projects weeks. Water Policy Laurie May has joined the team as the Front image by Peachy, Back image by Esther Centralian Frack Free Alliance Community Outreach and Engagement Officer. ALEC continues to be widely represented Beyond Nuclear Initiative Laurie is a well-known poet and organiser around across a variety of policy committees, Boards Inspiring Australia & Science Engagement town. Laurie has jumped straight in organising and Steering Committees – weighing into the Waste Wise in Alice an annual ALEC Workshop series, getting our challenges and opportunities for sustainable The Arid Lands Environment Centre The health implications of storing water in systems in place to support volunteers and development in Central Australia. ALEC has acknowledges and pays respect to plastic getting her teeth into the EcoFair. recently called for a Decarbonisation Plan for Australia’s First Nations form new alliance for the NT to ensure our economic development the traditional owners, both past and renewable energy Jesse Hancock has just arrived bringing his mitigates our impacts on the climate and helps present, of this region. Donate to ALEC substantial organising experience to the Frack us adapt to its changes here. Free Alliance Coordinator role. Jesse will be extending engagement with the growing numbers Through coordinating the Ten Deserts, ALEC is of people concerned about fracking and building supported a Southern Deserts on-country ranger a community of support for the campaign to ban workshop in Ilkurlka (WA) in June – 835km fracking . east of Kalgoorlie, 1100km SW from Alice. 80 indigenous land managers and a number of It’s been a busy year with the campaign to rangers and aspiring rangers shared essential stop the Northern Gas Pipeline ramping up skills and knowledge. alongside the fracking inquiry hearings across the NT. ALEC has been heavily engaged in The Ten Deserts is also playing a role in raising awareness of the risks of the pipeline supporting a substantial project definition that will to the environment both as a project and as an deliver impact across the desert country through supporting indigenous rangers and broader As we exit the warmest March on record, 7C • Ngaanyatjara Rangers (Blackstone, The inaugural Southern Deserts Ranger Forum collaborations. Very exciting, though lot’s of work above the average in Alice Springs with the Warburton, Warakurna, WA) was organised by Pila Nguru, Spinifex Land to do. Great Barrier Reef bleaching possibly terminally • Yalata Rangers (Yalata, SA) Management with the support of the Indigenous and the 45th president recklessly destroying • Goldfields Land & Sea Council rangers Desert Alliance, Ten Deserts Initiative with Well, that’s a snapshot from the frontline for decades old environmental protections in the (Kalgoorlie) funding provided by the WA Government, and environmental protection in the arid lands. In a US – we have to think ourselves lucky. We live sponsorship by AngloAshantiGold. Indigenous moment of reflection as I enter my tenth year at in this beautiful part of the world with a caring Other participating organisations included Ranger Programs and Indigenous Protected the helm of ALEC, I want to thank everyone who and compassionate community. We have a Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Areas are supported by the Australian has supported or engaged with ALEC over the responsibility to look after it. Management (SA), Rangelands NRM (WA), Government. years. It’s been tough at times, but we have done Parks SA, NG Media and Morningstar training. it – together. Enjoy the read and thanks for tuning in. Spinifex rangers said: The highlights included: Jimmy Cocking • Welcome to Country by Spinifex Elders Ethan Hansen- ‘It was great showing them ALEC Director • Ranger stories – sharing experience and where we come from and catching up with other knowledge rangers’. • Managing camels – diverse approaches • Waterholes – new and old ways of managing Scott Baird– ‘It was a great experience and it them was good to see other rangers doing work for the • Ranger Coordinator meeting same reasons’. • Men’s cultural activities • Cultural exchanges For the duration of the event a cloud was • Rifle safety hanging over the funding for the hosts, Spinifex • Tourism management and compliance Land Management. But with the advocacy and • Technology engagement - using drones and support of other groups and local member for other tools to monitor threatened species and O’Connor, Rick Wilson - Pila Nguru, Spinifex record data Rangers were told on Monday that they had • Soft skills – presentation, increased public funding certainty into the future. speaking confidence and networking ‘It was a fantastic week’, said Ten Deserts Coordinator, Jimmy Cocking, also Director of the Arid Lands Environment Centre.‘The rangers were engaged in a variety of knowledge areas Southern Deserts Rangers Shine indigenous rangers. Collectively the ranger including management of feral camels, tourists groups in attendance manage an area of 1.2 and buffel grass. It really hit the mark, the flexible As people settle in back at home from the million square kilometres across Western program enabled cultural activities, soft skills inaugural Southern Deserts Ranger Forum held Australia and South Australia. to be developed and a much needed ranger at Ilkurlka in the Spinifex lands, approximately coordinator meeting.’ 900 km east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia - all They included: participants are reflecting on a highly successful • Spinifex Land Management rangers ‘We are the lucky country, lucky that we have and inspiring event. (Tjuntjuntjara, WA) the people with the knowledge and the skills • Maralinga Tjarutja rangers (Oak Valley, SA) given opportunities to look after this desert The event attracted more than 85 people from • APY Lands rangers (various communities, country on all of our behalf. Hopefully they will across Western Australia, South Australia SA) be given the certainty and resources needed to and the Northern Territory – 60 of whom were • Ngadju Rangers (Norseman, WA) continue this important job into the foreseeable Jimmy Cocking • Birriliburu (Wiluna Martu, Wiluna, WA) future.’ Ten Deserts Coordinator support community organising to ban fracking engaging in the NT Government’s environmental 2017: ALEC’s priorities– in the NT regulatory reform process, and advocating for a stronger, independent Environment Protection Repowering Alice Springs to 100% renewable Authority. climate change action & energy In 2017 ALEC will be working on this through: Alice Springs has some of the highest solar • Employing a Policy Officer to make environmental protection potential in the world. ALEC is continuing to lead submissions on projects and issues of discussions with key agencies in pushing for a environmental protection No new fossil fuel projects and infrastructure