Big banks that funded a gasoline mega-project off the Northern Territory are simply as answerable for breaching their human rights because the driller, a bunch of Tiwi and Larrakia conventional homeowners says.
The group claims 11 banks failed to answer human rights complaints over the $5.5 billion Barossa venture by oil and gasoline firm Santos.
Despite committing to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the banks “overwhelmingly failed” to abide by the principles used to determine their human rights credentials.
Carol Maria Puruntatameri, a Tiwi elder who filed the grievance, says by giving Santos the cash to go forward with the venture, the banks are simply as culpable in disrespecting her cultural heritage.
“I’m very hurt. We all feel hurt that they aren’t listening to us,” she mentioned in a press release launched by Equity Generation Lawyers.
“When Santos drill, the banks are also drilling into our bodies. They are exactly the same.
“The financial institution is giving Santos the cash to go forward with destroying us and who we’re.”
In September the Federal Court prevented drilling at the multibillion dollar project, about 285km northwest of Darwin and 140km from the Tiwi Islands, finding it should not have been approved by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
Justice Mordecai Bromberg said the regulator should not have been lawfully satisfied the project’s drilling plan met the legal criteria.
In April the traditional owners lodged grievances with Australia’s big four banks and eight international banks over a $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) loan they provided to Santos.
The group called out NAB and Westpac on Thursday for dismissing its concerns and refusing to meet on country, while it said ANZ refused to confirm that it has accepted the grievance in its system.
Commonwealth Bank rejected the complaint, but did accept the invitation to meet on the Tiwi Islands to discuss the concerns.
In May Santos said it categorically rejected allegations of human rights breaches and reserved its rights in the matter.
“Santos notes the claimants haven’t sought to have their grievances decided or remedied in a courtroom of competent jurisdiction the place Santos might correctly reply,” the gas company said in a statement.
Santos said it was engaged in lawful regulatory processes for the Barossa project, including consultation with Indigenous people and other stakeholders.
AAP has contacted the 4 Australian banks for remark.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
