Indigenous landscape board chair quits as Telstra investigation raises fears for Nullarbor Country

A First Nations leader has resigned as presiding member of South Australia’s Alinytjara Wiluṟara Landscape Board, saying he could no longer advocate effectively for the remote region while an investigation continues into alleged environmental damage linked to Telstra works inside a protected wilderness area.

Brenz Saunders, a Far West Coast descendant of Kokotha, Wirangu and Mirning peoples, stepped down after the Telstra InfraCo contractors are under investigation by South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water (DEW) over “unauthorised clearing” and road grading near the Koonalda Caves Track in the Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area. The area is jointly managed by DEW and the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation.

The allegations, revealed through Freedom of Information documents, include concerns the works may have helped spread buffel grass, a declared weed in South Australia that has been linked to increased fire risk and damage to native ecosystems. For Traditional Owners, the harm is not only ecological.

A First Nations person with knowledge of the investigation said: “Cultural heritage value is white man speak for ruins, but for Aboriginal communities, culture is land.”

Saunders said “circumstances” had arisen that were “impeding the effectiveness” of his ability to advocate. “I couldn’t see my participation in the role being tenable” he said. He added: “It’s the duty of the presiding member to ensure that the region has a voice when it comes to environmental issues, land management issues in particular.”

The Landscape Board has disputed that it sought to restrict public comment by Aboriginal community members, saying Saunders was “not impeded in any way from speaking as a private individual, or as a member of the affected community whose Country was impacted by the breach”. It said he was advised it would be inappropriate to comment in his capacity as chair during an ongoing investigation led by DEW.

The resignation has sharpened pressure for transparency and accountability in how alleged breaches are handled in remote, culturally significant landscapes. As the investigation continues, community leaders say the key issue is ensuring remediation is real, weed prevention is properly resourced and Country is protected in ways that respect cultural authority and local decision-making.