Letter to the Editor: Respect the wishes of the Elders

DEAR News Of The Area,

AS a young child I remember the wind-blown weedy rubbish-strewn wastelands that covered the public Garlambirla sacred lands at the Jetty Foreshore.

Over the last 43 or more years I have watched the remarkable transformation of this place by Jetty Dunecare to one of incredible life, beauty, wonder, health and vitality.

I have seen (and been in small part involved in) the incredible acts of reconciliation enacted between Jetty Dunecare and the Gumbaynggirr community here in important and nation-leading acts of repair to Country.

This has involved the development of strong respectful relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal folk underpinned by a love of and respect for sacred country.

With all my being thanks to volunteer leader, Desnee McCosker, for her decades of voluntary hard work and the loving, respectful acts of legitimate reconciliation that have happened at our beloved Jetty Foreshore because of all this.

The wishes of the Garlambirla Guuyu-girrwaa Elders must be abided by.

We must do what is right: No highrise (eight storey equivalent, 25m high) private residential suburb on Garlambirla sacred gathering and healing Country at the Jetty Foreshore.

Leave these public sacred lands for the people to gather and to heal.

Make it more beautiful, make it more alive, don’t concrete it to death and take it away from the people for the profits of a greedy few.

Regards,
Mark GRAHAM,
Coffs Harbour.