Standing out the front of Ashton underground coalmine at Camberwell Scott Franks described the setting as a place where his ancestors had been dispossessed and worse hunted down and murdered.
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"This land we are standing on was held by the early white settlers like Lieutenant Lethbridge and there are written documents detailing first hand experiences of the massacre of our people by these early settlers," he said.
"We also have thousands of indigenous artefacts scattered around these properties which are now at risk of being destroyed by further mine expansions. We are calling on the government to protect our heritage and preserve these massacre sites."
For him this area and moving west onto the land of the proposed Glendell Continuation Project are sacred to his Wonnarua Plains Clan family.
As a spokesman for Plains Clans Wonnarua People (PCWP) he is vehemently opposed to Glencore's plans for the Glendell project.
He argues the plans will not only destroy the indigenous artefacts but also destroy the massacre site on Dr Bowman's historically significant Ravensworth Estate.
Ravensworth homestead was built by Dr James Bowman the Principal Surgeon for the colony of NSW. He married Mary Isabella Macarthur, the second daughter of John Macarthur in 1823 and took up 10,000 at Ravensworth in 1824 building the Ravensworth Homestead complex around 1832. The documented massacre of Aboriginal people on the property took place in 1826-1827.
Given the volume of documents on the massacre sites and artefacts Mr Franks wants to see the land protected from any development similar to what happen recently at Mount Panorama near Bathurst.
There was a proposal to build a go-kart track on top of Mount Panorama but in 2019 the Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation lodged a protection application over concerns a sacred women's site and endangered flora would be destroyed.
Last month Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley halted the development under section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
Mr Franks and members of the PCWP have applied for a similar protect order for the Ravensworth Homestead and massacre sites.
Supporting the PCWP in their call for the protection of the Ravensworth site are Upper Hunter Greens candidate Sue Abbott and NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge.
"It's criminal to see the industrial scale destruction of Aboriginal heritage that's accepted as just the costs of doing business for the hugely destructive coal industry in the Hunter Valley, "said Mrs Abbott.
"The Greens are demanding the law change to make Traditional Owners the decision makers and custodians for their heritage and to allow them to protect what is the longest continuous culture and history on the planet."
Mr Shoebridge said the current policies show how much our society is disrespecting the oldest culture on the planet.
"The only protection the traditional owners have is through the National Park and Wildlife Act - which means we are treating them like flora and fauna," he said.
"What is needed is a stand alone Act that provides the protection our First Nations people need and demand, they are the people who own this land and they should protect their own heritage and culture."
Mr Shoebridge also cited the recent decision on the go-kart track at Mount Panorama as being an example of what must happen at Ravensworth Estate.
Glendell Continuation Project will extend the life of the Glencore's existing Glendell open cut mine near until 2044 and extract an additional 135 million tonnes of coal. Glencore say the project will provide ongoing employment of 600 workers and inject millions of dollars into the local and state economy as well as provide millions of dollars in state mining royalties.
To reach the coal reserve Glencore has to relocate the Ravensworth Homestead with one option being to move the complex nearby on the property or, two, the company's preferred option based on the community feedback and work undertaken by an advisory body they appointed is to relocate the building to Broke and create a tourist attraction.