After 13 hard years of campaigning, we are overjoyed to share this victory with you!
The NSW Labor Government has listened to us, respected our voices, and acquired the twenty-five (25) hectares of land that encompasses the Awabakal Butterfly Cave.
There will be no roads. No houses. No desecration.
The Butterfly Cave is finally safe.
The Cave and cultural bushland will now be protected in perpetuity under the auspices of National Parks and Wildlife. It will be cared for by Aboriginal women of today, and tomorrow. The flora and fauna can flourish. It will be in the safest of hands.
We would like to acknowledge every single person who signed and shared our change.org petition. Without you, this battle would have been so much harder. Our petition accumulated over 180,000 signatures, making it one of the biggest online petitions ever created in Australia. It was impossible for decision-makers to ignore such a massive groundswell of support. Every signature mattered.
To the people who so generously donated to our campaign and propelled it further than we could ever have imagined, we are especially grateful.
We would also like to acknowledge key supporters who fought with us to ensure the Butterfly Cave and bushland were saved.
We want to thank our extraordinary legal team at the NSW Environmental Defenders Office. We could not have asked for stronger women to guide us. Sensitive to culture, they were always available, exceptionally professional, and determined to ensure the site was saved. We encourage you to support EDO as they continue to advocate for a better world.
Our local State member, Clayton Barr, has been our most dogged ally for over ten years. From speaking up in Parliament, organising countless meetings with politicians, proactively seeking ways for the fight to remain relevant, listening to us whenever we needed advice: Clayton never took a backwards step. And he never let the naysayers and mudslingers veer him off course. He had our back every step of the way. We cannot thank him enough.
To the Minns Labor Government, and particularly Environment Minister Penny Sharpe, we say thank you for finally saving our precious Butterfly Cave. By acknowledging the site’s significance and protecting it, you have drawn a line in the sand. You have demonstrated that Aboriginal voices can be heard and that our heritage must be protected.
To everyone who stopped for a moment to learn about this fight for Aboriginal culture, everyone who kept the conversation going, and everybody who offered support, guidance, or encouragement: we cannot thank you enough.
This win for Aboriginal culture will resonate through time. It is a victory for us all to celebrate. But we must remain mindful that, until State and Federal legislation for Aboriginal Heritage is revised, the fight for the Butterfly Cave may not be the final battleground between timeless Indigenous heritage, and big business.
We urge our supporters to remain vigilant, and supportive, of other campaigns to protect our beautiful country. Some people dismiss “clicktivism”. We are proof that online petitions work. Never surrender. Keep pushing for a better future for us all.
Stay strong.
The Save the Butterfly Cave Campaign Team.