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Stories from the Road: Leonora, Yeelirrie & Wiluna

From Mulga Rocks we travelled to Leonora and met with members from the community that say to a radioactive waste dump in Leonora and no to uranium mining at Yeelirrie.

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Vicky Abdullah, Tjwarl Traditional Owner,  “I am out here on country at Yeelirire, with my Aunty Shirley. I am really glad to come out on country. This is where they want to mine uranium. I heard it was going to be the biggest one, but we are not going to allow it to happen. We are strong people. We are strong together with these people here on the Rad Tour. We have all the support here with us. We are not going to allow this uranium mine to go ahead. To Cameco, and all the other uranium mining companies, we are going to leave it in the ground, that’s were its got to stay.

Yeelirrie we call it as a 'place of death'. 

We were a bit nervous when we went to the Supreme Court but we let the lawyers just do all the technical legal stuff. It was the first time I’ve ever been in a court room like that.

When we got the answer in March, me and my two aunties, we were shaken up and still can’t get over the answer that the judge said. We are going to appeal against it, and if we get a good answer that’ll be right but if not we still going to do other ways to block and stop this uranium mine going ahead.

This place here is a very strong place to us, iits got a few sites and the Seven Sisters dreaming. When you are out on country, this is home, this is your home, your mooda. Your place. And we are here as Traditional Owner to start protecting all our areas, especially this place here first.

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The beautiful rock holes between Yeelirrie and Wiluna are filled with water and teaming with tadpoles and frogs. A stark reminder of how water in these dry arid lands plays a significant role. For Traditional Owners, the animals and plants in these areas, these rock holes provided a crucial water supply but also facilitated access to a wider area and a larger range of resources. 

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Gates of Wiluna, opposing the proposed Toro Energy, Wiluna uranium mine project. 

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