Cultural heritage assessors had flagged that a prehistoric rock shelter, once used by Indigenous Australians in what is now New South Wales, appeared to contain a trove of potential archaeological artifacts less than 20 inches (50 centimeters) underground. They developed a cultural management plan. At least one local assessor of Wiradjuri, Tubba-Gah, and Gamilaraay descent, Thomas Dahlstrom, met with the renewable energy firm that was then preparing to erect new power lines in the area in an effort to help the company avoid doing irreparable harm to the shelter and other nearby heritage sites. And yet, that company, Acerez, has now admitted that it inadvertently damaged this cultural site “beyond recovery,” according to a statement on Monday. Speaking for Acerez, CEO Steve Masters also acknowledged in the press release that this heritage rock shelter “had been identified in the project’s planning approval.”
“We are deeply sorry,” Masters said. “The loss of this rock shelter is permanent, and nothing we say can undo that.” Acerez reported that its work on the power line’s access tracks would be “immediately paused.” But the firestorm has already prompted the NSW environmental minister to announce that the state would be conducting an investigation into the site’s destruction, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. For his own part, Dahlstrom said he has appealed beyond NSW, requesting federal protections for the site from the Australian government via an emergency protection order made possible by the nation’s 1984 heritage protection act.
