By Cameron Carr , Gabrielle Katanasho
In the remote Pilbara town of Roebourne, the oldest in the north-west and home to a predominantly Aboriginal community on Ngarluma country, a community-run store is helping residents access fresh produce and pantry staples. But as food insecurity, supply chain challenges and concerns about nearby mining operations persist, locals ask whether these initiatives can go far enough.
Energy giant Woodside administers the North West Shelf gas facility on behalf of a joint venture of energy companies. The project encompasses the onshore Karratha Gas Plant, which was built on the Burrup Peninsula in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Limited (NYFL) represents the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi peoples, who are among the recognised Traditional Owners of the area where the expansive onshore gas plant operates. The peninsula is culturally and spiritually significant to First Nations peoples and is part of Murujuga, which holds the densest known concentration of petroglyphs, or rock carvings, in the world.
In a statement to SBS News, a Woodside spokesperson said: “We are proud of the longstanding relationship we have built with NYFL over more than two decades.”
“Over the life of the relationship, the North West Shelf Project has supported NYFL-led initiatives across education, employment and training, economic participation, capacity building, community development and cultural heritage.”
Cameron Carr and Gabrielle Katanasho travelled to Roebourne with support from the Michael Gordon Fellowship, administered by the Melbourne Press Club.
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