SACRED EARTH

Sacred Mound Springs drying up due to mining

The Sacred Mound Springs are of profound cultural significance to the Aboriginal people of the region. The Arabunna people are the traditional custodians of the Lake Eyre South region, the land in which effected mound springs are located. The springs and the Artesian waters that supply them form an integral part of the communal intellectual property of the Arabunna people.

WMC refused to negotiate with the Arabunna or be party to any initiatives to preserve and protect the mound springs.

In fact, former owners WMC mounted an extensive campaign against the World Heritage nomination of the Lake Eyre Basin. It had a vested interest in preventing World Heritage nomination because of its profligate use of water from the Great Artesian Basin.

[Olympic Dam's infamy stems in part from its thirst: the mine draws around 45 million litres of water per day from the Great Artesian Basin under the surface of central Australia to process the ore.]