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IT
Australian court revives Indigenous challenge to Carmichael coal mine over sacred springs
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Intercontinental Cry
The unanimous ruling by the state’s highest appellate court upheld the appeal by the Nagana Yarrbayn Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodians, clearing the way for the case to proceed to trial.
He said the ruling affirms that Indigenous cultural rights recognized under the Queensland Human Rights Act are substantive, not symbolic, and can form a legal basis to challenge government inaction on sacred sites.
“The Doongmabulla Springs are the home of Mundagutta, the Rainbow Serpent, and central to Wangan and Jagalingou creation stories,” Burragubba said.
The Queensland Human Rights Commission intervened in support of the custodians, while Attorney-General Deb Frecklington had argued cultural rights were not enforceable in this context.
The springs’ protection has become a focal point for broader debates over Indigenous rights, cultural heritage protection, and the environmental impacts of coal mining in Australia’s resource-rich inland regions.