By PHILIP HOPKINS
GIPPSLAND Aborigines’ vision of the region’s energy future includes a genuine partnership and healing of country, with potential land returns and compensation, according to a regional indigenous leader, Troy McDonald.
Mr McDonald, chair of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), said the energy future was one of renewables, not ‘harmful’ fossil fuels, with recognition of the role of traditional owners a non-negotiables foundation for genuine healing of Country.
Giving the opening address of the recent Gippsland New Energy Conference in Traralgon, Mr McDonald said: “I recognise Gunaikurnai as custodians of country, and also of sea country, sky and sky across Gippsland. Why sky? That’s where the ‘moeties’, the beings that shaped where culture came from.”
“We are here to discuss energy. We carry those responsibilities with us because the choices we make now will shape the health of country and community for generations to come,” he said.
Mr McDonald said he grew up in the Latrobe Valley, in Traralgon.
“For more than a century, Gippsland’s energy economy has been powered by fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – all extracted from Gunaikurnai Country. Contrary to popular belief, we have not been the beneficiaries of that,” he said.
“The history brought jobs and prosperity to Victoria; it also brought scars on country and contamination under the water. Scars on culture on Gunaikurnai culture; the Gunaikurnai people were disconnected from the land, and heritage was also desecrated in that process. The impacts are still with us today. The Gunaikurnai are at the table as partners in the industry transition, not bystanders on this.”
When talking about mine rehabilitation, Mr McDonald said, “we can’t confine that conversation to engineering or technical stability”. “Remediation must also reflect culture, the environmental, social and economic impacts. All GLaWAC’s policy instruments reflect these,” he said.
“For us, water – the Gunaikurnai word ‘yarnda’ – is sacred in Gunaikurnai culture; it sustains life. Any restoration of the mine site must respect the cultural value of water, and reckon with the true cost of the harm that has been done before.”
Mr McDonald said being at the table for the mine remediation opportunity – “this transition” – offered great promise, but “it must not repeat the mistakes of the past”.
Mr McDonald said it was crucial to protect cultural heritage through heritage management plans.
“Heal country by avoiding the harm of the fossil fuels era; secure economic opportunities for Gunaikurnai people through jobs, training, procurement and shared benefits, and uphold the concept of free informed consent in every negotiations we conduct,” he said.
“That means we will come to the table with intent. This is not just a technical transition; it is a cultural and social one as well. Again, it’s our opportunity to be part of the industry ecosystem around renewables.”
Mr McDonald said Pathways to Partnerships was one of GLaWAC’s instruments of “how we want to do business with the sector”.
“The GLaWAC partnerships model sets new standard for agreement-making,” he said. This was a new standard, not just a casual chat with executives, but a marker on “how we want to be engaged”.
“We believe agreements must include land returns at some point, cultural heritage protection, economic participation and long-term monitoring of all work that comes before us with this amazing opportunity,” he said.
“We are already working in partnership with offshore wind proponents. These partnerships are not simply commercial; they are about reconciliation, healing and self-determination.
They show what it looks like when traditional owners sit at the table as equal partners, this is what a just energy future requires.”
Regarding remediation and regeneration, Mr McDonald said it was necessary to deal honestly with what has been left behind, the healing of ‘Wurruck’ – Wurruck means country – after coal. Priorities for mine rehabilitation included sustainability. “Do not contaminate the water – that is, protect the water’s sovereignty and quality,” he said.
“Restore cultural heritage – tangible and intangible. Intangible cultural heritage is not just ‘stones and bones’; it’s about stories that live in Country, in waterways, in the air, the trees.
Look beyond the mine voids to whole landscapes, creating a legacy, land returns, potential compensation one day – we are pretty open about that – and business development.”
Mr McDonald said resources and leadership were pillars that GLaWAC was building on, recognising the role of traditional owners in the process.
“These are non-negotiables, the foundation of genuine healing of country. From the Gunaikurnai perspective, and all traditional owners in Victoria, this a big priority for all of us,” he said.
“The energy transition must not repeat the exclusion of traditional owners, which is what happened with the coal mining for decades. Government and industry must imbed cultural values into energy planning – a fully resourced partnership to ensure the benefits flow to communities. not just corporations.”
Mr McDonald said healing country was a shared responsibility. “If we do this together, with honesty and respect, then Gippsland can show Australia and the world how to deliver a just energy transition,” he said.
Guidance from the elders council of the Gunaikurnai provided a cultural governance framework: ‘Learn from yesterday, be proactive today’.
“Aim for a strong and healthy mob and country tomorrow. This is the opportunity for us to do things differently, to walk with respect, to build an energy future for our homes and industries but also for the healing of Country,” Mr McDonald said.
