Bidjigal man Assen Timbery says that when four traditional owners along with Greens MP David Shoebridge, a heritage expert and an ABC television media crew arrived at the site shortly before at 8am on Thursday, they were told they could not enter the site because they did not have the proper personal protection equipment.
Mr Timbery also told NITV that an Aboriginal liaison officer was present, and a public order and riot squad van was parked nearby.
“You feel degraded ... you’re degraded, because you're trying to do something decent and good for your people, and you've got police standing there watching you - it just doesn’t make you feel good,” he says.
However, Transport for NSW say neither they, nor ALTRAC Light Rail [the public-private partnership consortium], “requested the police to attend the site this morning”.
NSW police have also confirmed that no police were called to the scene writing in statement: "The public riot order squad did not attend."
Mr Shoebridge says he gave notice of their intention to visit the site to Transport for NSW two days ago, and while he was advised that he and the media would not be allowed, he thought the traditional owners would be allowed on site.
Transport for NSW say Mr Shoebridge was made aware on Wednesday afternoon that the visit could “not be accommodated as staff were not available to perform safety inductions.”
Furthermore they requested that “the elders contact [them] directly to organise a tour.”
Wonnarua man Scott Franks is the project's cultural heritage consult, and he believes this latest action from Transport for NSW is a delaying tactic.
Sydney light rail site Source: NITV News
“The problem is whilst they're delaying this, they're destroying the site,” he says.
”They're just holding the process up until they extract the site- that’s all they're doing at the moment, tearing the site up, as once and the artefacts are removed the argument is dead.”
Almost 22,000 Indigenous artefacts, believed to be up to 3000 years old, have been discovered over the past few months during construction of the $2.1 billion dollar light rail project.
While many of the artefacts have been excavated and safely stored, Mr Franks says there are thousands more in the surrounding area currently under construction.
The Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt denied a request for an emergency stop work order on the site earlier this week. Another application for federal heritage protection is ongoing.
Some of the 20,000 plus Indigenous artefacts that were found at the site of the Sydney light rail. Source: Supplied
