Will Minister Ley let the billionaire developer win?

Will Minister Ley sacrifice culture for developer profit?

The Butterfly Cave is a sacred Aboriginal women’s space that’s been used for thousands of years, but after 9 years of fighting to protect it, the site remains under threat from a housing development planned by billionaire family firm Roche Group.
On 30 September 2020 Minister Ley visited the Butterfly Cave to witness first hand how McMansions will dominate and destroy this precious spiritual site.  Since then we have heard nothing from the Minister or her Department.

We still need your help.

​Please sign our petition here:  PETITION TO MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT - Hon Sussan Ley MP
​Click on the icons to send the Minister a message via social media.  

Latest update

29 October 2020

It’s been four weeks since Environment Minister Sussan Ley visited the Awabakal Women’s Butterfly Cave near Newcastle and we’ve heard nothing from her, or her Department, since that time.

You might remember we invited the Minister to visit our precious site to show her exactly what was at risk if Roche Group built McMansions near the Cave. We showed her the journey path and the bush tucker that will be lost forever. We explained how privacy and spiritual connection will be destroyed by noise, pollution and domestic animals, and we talked about the terrible impact that will have on Aboriginal women.

We know the Minister spoke with representatives of Roche Group immediately after her visit with us and we’re left wondering if money will speak louder than the collective voices of Aboriginal women.

We look at what’s happened with the Djab Wurrung directions tree and the Brandy Hill koala habitat and we're terrified the Minister will not stand up for us either.

Please continue to share the petition and contact Minister Ley to demand the Butterfly Cave is protected from development.

​Please also contact Roche Group and ask why they are so determined to smash what little Aboriginal heritage remains in this area.  According to the Australian Financial Review the family is worth $1.42 billion dollars.  A little bit of philanthropy would go a long way in this matter.

What's the problem?

After many years of fighting to save this precious Aboriginal women's site we thought we had succeeded.  In January 2019, the Australian Federal Government recognised the significance of the Butterfly Cave and surrounding bush land and made a Declaration under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Heritage Protection Act.  
​The Declaration can be found here.
Incredibly, despite the ATSIHP Declaration, Hammersmith Pty Ltd/Roche Group (the developers) still plan to build the housing subdivision that threatens to desecrate the site.
The 2019 Construction Management Plan is the proof.
The Development Application lodged with Lake Macquarie City Council includes building a water retention pond inside the Declared area.  Roads will be built immediately adjacent to the site.  These are clear breaches of the Declaration.

Unfortunately, Roche Group still refuses to concede the site is at risk and has obtained legal advice to push the development through. 

Thanks to our committed supporters we still have the Environmental Defenders Office working with us closely to protect this precious site.  

But we need your help once more!
The NSW State Government and Lake Macquarie City Council have NO authority to enforce the Declaration.  The only person who can enforce the Declaration and stop the developer is the Minister for Environment.

We are asking supporters to email Minister Ley and forward this request to everyone you can.  

How can you help?

The Federal Minister for Environment is the ONLY person who has the authority to enforce the ATSIHP Declaration.

We encourage you to contact Minister Sussan Ley and respectfully ask for her to protect the Butterfly Cave by enforcing the Declaration.
​
​You are welcome to use the following statement in your email.
Dear Minister Ley

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Butterfly Cave, West Wallsend, NSW) Declaration 2019 was issued on 31 January 2019 by then-Minister Melissa Price.

As you are aware, the Declaration identifies the significance of the Butterfly Cave and is the result of a many-years-long community fight to protect the site from being desecrated by development.

Despite being fully aware of the significance of the site in a cultural—and now legal—context, Hammersmith/Roche Group are persistent in their intent to build houses immediately adjacent to the site.

The proposed construction of Stage 7 and Stage 9 of Hammersmith’s Appletree Grove Estate development will contravene section 6 of the Declaration.  The planned roadwork and water retention basin will injure and desecrate the Declared Area.  The water retention basin is located inside the Declared Area.

As sole enforcement authority, we urge you to enforce the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Butterfly Cave, West Wallsend, NSW) Declaration 2019 and stop the development of Stage 7 and Stage 9 of the Appletree Grove Estate.

Respectfully

[Your name] 

Awabakal Women's
​Butterfly Cave.

​The Butterfly Cave is a traditional Awakabal women’s place located on the eastern fringes of West Wallsend, NSW.

 It is highly significant to women and has been used for women’s business and ceremonial purposes since pre-contact. 

​It continues to be an elemental part of Aboriginal women’s cultural well-being and a place of learning and spiritual connection.
 The ongoing fight to save the Awabakal Women's Butterfly Cave has been co-ordinated by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women working with the Sugarloaf and District Action Group.
Our fight has been sustained by the consistent support and advice from many individuals, groups and clubs.
We would particularly like to thank:
Environmental Defender's Office
Clayton Barr MP, Member for Cessnock
Our Facebook supporters
Our GoFundMe Supporters (we raised in excess of $30,000 to fund the legal campaign)
The 161,000+ people who have signed our ongoing petition on Change.org
Jennifer van Gessel
Leesa Colgan - ​Enough (Butterfly Cave)
Everyone who has acknowledged the significance of this precious women's site through art, tattooing, fundraising, rallying and just talking.