Australia: Indigenous groups angry about roll-back of Wild Rivers laws

Stephanie Smail, ABC News, Thursday, August 1, 2013

Feb 2013 Australia anti-fracking protests see police escort for drilling company trucks.

Indigenous groups in Queensland’s Channel Country are calling on the State Government to reverse its decision to allow oil and gas development in the Lake Eyre Basin.

The Newman Government says it will wind back the previous government’s Wild Rivers protection declarations in western Queensland to allow some shale and coal seam gas extraction.

Damien Hooper reprimanded for Olympic Aboriginal flag stunt

By Tim Martin, Australian Times, 31 July, 2012

Damien Hooper with his t-shirt of the Australian Aboriginal flag, contrary to the corporate and colonial Olympic industry’s interests.

AUSTRALIAN boxer Damien Hooper has been reprimanded by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) for wearing an Aboriginal flag t-shirt into the ring for his first Olympic boxing bout in London.

The Aboriginal Australian, and London 2012 gold medal hopeful, wanted to “represent his culture” but didn’t know wearing the shirt was against the IOC charter which prevents political statements at the Games.