Storms and strong winds uncovered Aboriginal cultural sites within the buffer zone between Boral’s Stockton Quarry operational pit and the neighbouring Worimi Conservation Lands.
For nearly 30 years, Stockton Quarry has supplied sand to the construction, landscaping and building industries across the Hunter, Port Stephens and even parts of Sydney.
“Strict controls are in place to limit machinery movement and monitor for further exposure after storms or high winds,” Boral’s Stockton quarry manager Rod Johnson said.
“This isn’t just about what we dig from the ground. It’s about what we honour in the ground. And we’re proud to play a role in protecting that history.”
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The sites, exposed by storms late last year, included stone artefacts, shell middens, artefact scatters and bone fragments. They were located in an area visited by more than 200,000 people each year, making immediate protection a priority.
Chair of the Worimi Conservation Lands (WCL) Board of Management, Jamie Tarrant, said the land on which Boral operates forms part of a cultural story, they are a neighbour to the park, and we all have a responsibility to care for Country.
“The WCL Board along with the Worimi Traditional Owners want to ensure that the Board’s vision of protect, respect and connect with country ensures that the protection of culture is always at the forefront of what we do,” Tarrant said.
“Recent storms and closure only amplify our need to work together to protect and manage this culturally significant country.”
“By working together and collaborating ‘as one’ – Wakulda – only then can we truly appreciate the invaluable local knowledge and history, necessary to provide protection of the first culture and the original heritage of the land on which Boral operates, Worimi Barray,” Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO Andrew Smith said.
Last year Boral launched its Innovate Bula Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2026, which contain – among its aims – the goal of fostering relationships with local Aboriginal communities.