We wish to congratulate the McGowan Government, Lands Minister John Carey, our local MLA Mr David Michael and the other Ministers for their commitment to the safety of Western Australians; and for being the Government to enable the closure and potential healing for the sufferers of Australia’s worst industrial disaster - Wittenoom. The Wittenoom Closure Bill 2021 passed through State Parliament last week.

With over 4000 deaths and more predicted, we see this as a second step in the right direction to address WA’s dark history (the first being the closure of the mine and mill in Wittenoom in 1966). While it is a positive step to protect future exposure in the region, it doesn’t resolve the pain and suffering of those affected by asbestos diseases. These Western Australians no longer have a place to grieve or remember their lives in Wittenoom, a town where they thought it was safe to raise their young families.

We believe the priority has to be a memorial. An accessible and prominent memorial to these preventable deaths would provide:

• acknowledgement of the Wittenoom workers and their families sacrificed for WA state development
• a meaningful deterrent for those tempted to visit the region
• a reminder to corporations not to ignore the safety of the communities they operate in.

We look forward to working with Minister Carey - continuing on from our discussions with the former Lands Minister Tony Buti - to provide the funds for lasting memorials to the thousands of lives lost as a result of living and working in Wittenoom, as well as one in Perth.

If you haven't already done so, please ask your family and friends to sign our petition for permanent memorials, so we can present it to the Minister - www.change.org/WittenoomMemorial