ACEREZ Consortium Faces Backlash Over Aboriginal Site Destruction

Wiradjuri, Tubbah-Gah and Gamilaray people’s today are again unsuprised by the news of a renewable energy consortium’s ability to demolish an Aboriginal rock shelter that has stood thousands of storms, and then to be BIG about it and ‘admit failures’

ACEREZ, is a consortium made up of ACCIONA- a Spanish ‘sustainable infrastructure’ leader, COBRA, an international developing consortium made up of faceless wealthy investors, and Endeavour Energy. The consortium was appointed by the NSW government agency EnergyCo to design, finance and operate the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. ACEREZ chief executive director Trevor Armstrong, and COBRA CEO, Jose Maria Castillo responded to the devastating news by stating that internal ‘failures’ led to the destruction. Uncle Bill responded with “No BULL!’.

The ‘REZ’ project was handed 72 million dollars in funding to destroy an environmentally sustainable shelter compared to 48.3 million allocated to Aboriginal Hostels for short-term accommodation, when in fact the original rock structure was cheaper, environmentally suited, and more ‘stable’ housing than hostels. The gap left by the conglomerates of Spanish and International developers is another reminder of how many remain unclosed.