Penny Sharpe says Aboriginal rock shelter destruction was unacceptable
An aboriginal rock shelter was destroyed in March during access-track construction for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone in New South Wales. The site was damaged beyond recovery by bulldozers, and state and company investigations were under way in May.
The shelter sat about 300km north-west of Sydney and was identified in the project’s approval conditions and the contractor’s heritage management plan. Public records described it as a 4x2 metre rock shelter that could have protected people from rain, slope wash and westerly winds, and potentially contained archaeological deposits.
Acerez Finds March Damage
Acerez discovered the damage in May while carrying out due diligence checks, after the shelter had already been destroyed. A company spokesperson said processes to protect the shelter were “were not fully implemented” and added, “We are deeply sorry and apologise without reservation to the traditional owners and to the local community”.
EnergyCo said Acerez had failed to conduct its works in line with the agreed management plans and heritage protection measures. The government corporation also said it had alerted Acerez to its failure to comply with its contractual obligations, placing the contractor’s handling of the site at the center of the investigation.
Thomas Dahlstrom Reaction
Thomas Dahlstrom, a Wiradjuri, Tubba-Gah and Gamilaraay man, said he went through a “rollercoaster of emotions” after learning the shelter had been destroyed. “I was shocked. I was angry,” he said. “it’s gone and it’s not coming back.”
Penny Sharpe, the NSW minister for climate change, energy, heritage and the environment, said she was “furious” about the damage. “It should never have happened and is completely unacceptable,” she said. Andrew Gee, the federal independent MP, called for the chief executive of Acerez to resign and said he was “appalled”.
Central-West Orana Inquiry
The destruction now sits inside two parallel reviews: one by the company and one by the state government. Project documents had said micro-siting would be investigated before construction, in consultation with an Aboriginal heritage specialist, but the shelter was instead bulldozed during track building. For people watching the project, the immediate issue is whether those heritage safeguards were actually followed on the ground.
