On Friday night 5,200 people gathered at Male Oval, Broome to hear from some of Australia’s most highly regarded musicians and the cream of local talent join together to say no to industrial development in the Kimberley. The concert was organised by Helen Jedwab and instigated when Law Keeper and Custodian for the Goolaraboolo heritage, Joseph Roe, invited musicians including The Pigram Brothers, John Butler and Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil), to come together for a celebration of Indigenous cultural values. Local and national environment groups were proud to accept an invitation to support the event and provide information to concert goers on the night. Local environment group, Environs Kimberley Director, Martin Pritchard said “The bulldozing of around 3,000 hectares of bush affecting many rare species and communities including monsoonal vine thicket and bilbies in an area being investigated for national heritage listing is totally unacceptable.” “The concert organised by Joseph Rowe was a real eye-opener to the Indigenous Cultural values of James Price Point, we believe the environmental and cultural impacts of this proposal are too great for it to go ahead.” said Mr Pritchard. Save The Kimberley spokesperson Peter Tucker said “We have been working for many years now to draw attention to the significance of the Kimberley region and the massive environmental and cultural danger that this proposed development represents. The significance of this concert uniting musicians and Indigenous people should not be underestimated.”.

Images: Rod Hartvigsen.