27.9.00

The Minister for Immigration
Hon. Philip Ruddock

We write with grave concerns of what we are hearing from the Customs Department that you and the Minister for Justice in Western Australia, Mr Peter Foss have had talks about setting up an Immigration Detention Centre on our Sacred Land at Pyrton on the Swan River in the Bassendean/ Eden Hill/ Success Hill area in Perth, Western Australia.

Mr Peter Foss has been trying ever so hard in the past. He wants to dominate our Sacred Grounds by having a Prison put on it (which is called a Women's Rehabilitation Centre.) It is not only us the Nyungah people who are against it. It is the ratepayers of Eden Hill, Success Hill, Bassendean and Lockridge as well. We have got two Shires in Western Australia, Bassendean Council and Swan City Council and other supporting groups in the metropolitan area of Perth are against this women's Prison. If Mr Peter Foss is telling you otherwise he is telling you a lie because we are not in favour of it.

We have been following your comments on how you have been dealing with illegal migrants who came to this country and how you were against them being illegally here.

We ask you as the Minister for Immigration why are you changing your stand now? Why are you in favour of dumping them on a Sacred Ground, meaning if you have been having talks with Peter Foss and are in favour of putting your Prison Detention Centre here, we ask you to consider seriously our Aboriginal Spirituality and our Spiritual Dreaming going to be damaged. We ask you to consider seriously what you are talking about and try to put yours and Mr Peter Foss' idea elsewhere, not on our Sacred Ground.

Would you please give us an answer as soon as possible?

Signed: Robert Bropho Harvey Bropho
for Swan Valley Nyungah Community
and

Signed: Iva Hayward Jackson
for Nyungah Circle of Elders

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Contacts
Swan Valley Nyungah Community (08) 9377 3550
Pyrton Action Group (08) 9279 6781