Despite 38,000+ people signing our petition asking Bill and Imelda Roche (Hunter Valley Gardens, Harrigans Hotels, Roche Estate) to revise their subdivision plans and protect the Butterfly Cave at West Wallsend, we can report that they have failed to acknowledge our campaign and are committed to the destruction of Awabakal heritage. In addition to exposing Roche Group’s trenchant contempt for the voices of Aboriginal women, our campaign has thrown a spotlight on the failure of the NSW Government to protect sites of significance – in particular the utter incompetence demonstrated by the department tasked with protecting heritage – the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). If Roche Group members are determined to pursue this act of sanctioned ethnocide, we are equally prepared to demand that the NSW Government intervenes. Please consider signing our petition at: https://www.change.org/p/nsw-government-must-act-now-to-save-the-awabakal-women-s-butterfly-cave-site-from-development This petition is directed to the three women who have the responsibility and the capacity to protect our site: Premier Gladys Berejiklian; Minister Gabrielle Upton (Office of Environment and Heritage) and Minister Sarah Mitchell (Aboriginal Affairs). Why should the NSW Government intervene? If OEH had managed the initial Aboriginal Place nomination for the Butterfly Cave with cultural awareness, diligence and conviction, the bitter fight over the gazetted 20m “buffer” zone would have been averted. If OEH were committed to the protection of Aboriginal culture, they would have responded to our most recent application for an extension of the Butterfly Cave Aboriginal Place boundaries (that would protect the Cave from construction vibration AND allow the retention of significant songline bushland). The extension application, lodged in December 2016, has been widely supported by Aboriginal groups. In spite of numerous emails requesting advice on the process, the only information OEH is prepared to divulge is that staff are “reviewing” the nomination. This week, final submissions and peer-reviews of the Construction Management Plan (CMP) - that will inform the approval of Stage 7 - will be lodged with Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCCC). If LMCC approve the CMP our battle to save our precious site will reach a critical stage. We strongly believe that the CMP cannot be approved on the basis that the Roche-Group-funded CMP does not guarantee the Cave will be safe from damage – but we are equally certain that LMCC will not have the capacity to deny Roche Group their approval. We need the NSW Government to stop blathering about “sovereign risk” (Mark Speakman) in relation to this matter. We need them to stop pandering to the needs of multi-millionaire businessmen. We need them to draw a line and set a precedent - or every site that Aboriginal people deem significant in NSW will be at increased risk. OEH made an error when they accepted a 20m “buffer” zone between the Butterfly Cave and McMansions was sufficient. We need them to admit this and make amends before this particularly beautiful, significant and venerated site is destroyed by a family company prepared to make a buck out of other people’s misery. What is our petition goal? Our goal is to reach 10,000 signatures by 24 April 2017. We currently have over 9,400. Please help us reach our goal so that the NSW Government will understand the depth of our despair. Please sign and share Thanks again. Annie Freer savethebutterflycave@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/1ButterflyCave/