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Speaker 1: Now, as we know, yesterday the High Court of Australia

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Speaker 1: ruled in favor of the Aboriginal Area's Protection Authority in

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Speaker 1: the long running legal battle with National Parks over the

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Speaker 1: protection of sacred sites, which arose after works took place

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Speaker 1: at Gudlam Falls in twenty nineteen. Now the case considered

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Speaker 1: where a Crown immunity for the Commonwealth extended to the

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Speaker 1: Director of National Parks, and the High Court unanimously found

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Speaker 1: that it can be prosecuted for offenses under the NTIES

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Speaker 1: Sacred Sites Act. Now joining us in the studio to

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Speaker 1: talk through the outcome is Gudlin Falls Traditional owner Joshua Hunter.

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Speaker 1: Good morning to you, josh good morning. Thanks so much

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Speaker 1: for joining us in the studio this morning. Mate.

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Speaker 2: Now, tell me how did.

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Speaker 1: You feel yesterday when you heard the outcome from the

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Speaker 1: High Court.

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Speaker 3: Oh, the feeling was overwhelming. I guess a few tears

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Speaker 3: were sheddy in there, my dear. It was just a

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Speaker 3: great feeling altogether.

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Speaker 1: Can you tell me a little bit more about you

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Speaker 1: know about that area at Gonlan Falls and and and

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Speaker 1: you know what had happened.

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Speaker 3: So what had happened is you know, we we agreed

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Speaker 3: with the Director and Past Australia for upgrading of the

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Speaker 3: walking trail that was being a bit of a trouble

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Speaker 3: for walkers. A lot of ankles were injured previously. So

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Speaker 3: we agreed to upgrade the trail and we agreed to

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Speaker 3: map out how the trail would be upgraded the new route,

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Speaker 3: and I was a part of the original placement of

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Speaker 3: the new route, and unfortunately, I guess miscommunication. Communication breakdown

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Speaker 3: led to traditional owners being worried about the sacred site

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Speaker 3: that was nearby.

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Speaker 1: And how important is that sacred site to you guys

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Speaker 1: as traditional owners. I mean, it goes without saying it's sacred, right,

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Speaker 1: but how important is it to traditional liners?

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Speaker 3: The side itself holds a lot of significance, you know,

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Speaker 3: especially for for our women and us meant to carry burdens,

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Speaker 3: you know, from ancient times. I guess protocols that were

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Speaker 3: in place. You know, the place holds a lot of

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Speaker 3: significance to us.

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Speaker 1: And it's a it's a beautiful area, you know, it's

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Speaker 1: a it's an unbelievable, unbelievably beautiful area. But as you said,

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Speaker 1: you know you're wanting to work by the sounds of

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Speaker 1: it with with parks to make sure that you know

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Speaker 1: that any work that had happened is done in such

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Speaker 1: a way that that those areas that are really important

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Speaker 1: are not damaged.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I guess, you know, in the mix the

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Speaker 3: history of of of the area dates back to to

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Speaker 3: the early eighties nineties, you know, when when Bob Hawk

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Speaker 3: identified our cultural I guess religious values, and you know,

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Speaker 3: going on from there, those elders passed away, you know,

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Speaker 3: sacred sites. They developed a protocol that would overlap the

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Speaker 3: lease agreement between us and the and the Director of

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Speaker 3: National Parks. I was a young board member of Kakuty

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Speaker 3: National Park at the time when we signed off on

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Speaker 3: that protocol with the director and it was all in

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Speaker 3: good faith. And I guess you know, over time when

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Speaker 3: new management comes in, it's hard to uphold that I

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Speaker 3: guess value and respect between traditional owners and the government.

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Speaker 1: What do you reckon the message? Like, what message does

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Speaker 1: yesterday's decision sent do you think?

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Speaker 3: I guess it sends a strong presence for people like

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Speaker 3: myself who you know, have have been I guess baptized

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Speaker 3: in Aboriginal culture to the you know, the stronghold of

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Speaker 3: you know, of Aboriginal culture in the northern territory is

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Speaker 3: very still very strong, and I guess our cultural obligations

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Speaker 3: as senior men to to look after the country, look

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Speaker 3: after our visitors as well, and make sure the government

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Speaker 3: listens to us when we you know, and give us

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Speaker 3: space to do our job as traditional honors.

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Speaker 1: Are you relieved that it's you know, that it's been resolved.

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Speaker 2: Yes, I am relieved.

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Speaker 3: In the background, you know, during the court case, we

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Speaker 3: were in the background. We've the walking trailer is upgraded.

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Speaker 3: We've we've finished the walking trail. We did all all

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Speaker 3: we could from a traditional Liner point of view too,

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Speaker 3: you know, to show that we're working positively with the

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Speaker 3: with the government and I'm giving I guess a better,

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Speaker 3: better visitor experience.

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Speaker 1: And so what's next for for Gonelam falls from you know,

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Speaker 1: from a traditional owners perspective, what's.

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Speaker 2: Next would probably be.

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Speaker 3: Going back talking to to my family, the rest of

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Speaker 3: the traditional Liner group and the wider community, you know,

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Speaker 3: the local anti residents and everyone involved.

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Speaker 2: You know, there's a lot operation where.

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Speaker 3: Generations in front of us, all the kids that are

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Speaker 3: growing up, I can all share the place you know

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Speaker 3: as together as one family.

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Speaker 1: And you talk about you know that next generation and

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Speaker 1: the kids, obviously people being able to go out there

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Speaker 1: and young people going out there to visit. But you know,

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Speaker 1: also for you, as a traditional owner, how important is

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Speaker 1: it for you to be able to continue to pass

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Speaker 1: down that message of those sacred sites as well to

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Speaker 1: your children and and you know, make sure that it

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Speaker 1: is continued, continually respected.

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Speaker 3: I guess, maintaining that strong cultural presence.

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Speaker 2: As myself. I was once a small child, you.

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Speaker 3: Know, ninety three when the land clan was one, and

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Speaker 3: my grandfathers were senior men at the time.

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Speaker 2: They all passed away.

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Speaker 3: Now so I've got children, I've got nephews, I've got

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Speaker 3: you know, grandchildren from relatives, and just keeping that cultural

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Speaker 3: knowledge and that obligation to look after country, you the

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Speaker 3: right thing, and passing on that I'm strong presence and

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Speaker 3: giving that feeling, you know, to make it stronger for

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Speaker 3: those who are coming up behind me.

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Speaker 1: How proud of you are are you of that area?

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's a beautiful area, isn't it. And it

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Speaker 1: is so it's so culturally significant as well by the

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Speaker 1: sounds of it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, And Gordoloms is a special place I've spent my childhood,

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Speaker 3: my young adulthood, I'm in my mid thirties now and

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Speaker 3: I've met a lot of people, you know, not just

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Speaker 3: culture significant for Indigenous people, but I'm also for the

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Speaker 3: wider group of Australia that you know, loves that back,

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Speaker 3: loves waterfalls and loves taking the kids, you know, camping, swimming,

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Speaker 3: also the elderly who retire and just want to roam

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Speaker 3: around and look at good places. Goodlam has always been

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Speaker 3: special for that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Do you feel like, do you feel pretty proud when

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Speaker 1: people do come out to that area and see how

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Speaker 1: beautiful it is and how amazing it is.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess a sense of pride. There's no words

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Speaker 3: for it. You know, It's always been a part of me.

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Speaker 3: It's always been part of my people. My children always

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Speaker 3: excited to win, you know, when to go out their

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Speaker 3: next and it's a good place.

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Speaker 2: It's a place of good feelings.

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Speaker 1: Well, Joshua Hunter, really good to speak to you this morning, mate.

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Speaker 1: I appreciate you coming into the studio. Traditional owner of

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Speaker 1: Gunlan Falls. Thanks so much for coming in and talking

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Speaker 1: to us about that outcome yesterday.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: Thank you