“I implore you to see Indigenous custodians as partners in the work you do, rather than just another stakeholder.”
These compelling words by our GM Business Development Jade Ritchie, perfectly sum up the approach of Tellus when it comes to siting, developing, and operating hazardous waste repositories in remote Australia.
Speaking recently at the recent Annual Conference of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) 2023 on the Gold Coast, Jade explained the need for “early and open dialogue” with Indigenous communities about projects, and the integration of “two-way knowledge and right-way science”:
“When it comes to program or project design, particularly projects on country, it makes sense to include the experience and voices of Indigenous people right at the outset. This has not been done well in the past and has led to disastrous outcomes for people and country, as well as fiscally poor decisions that have cost the taxpayer.”
Jade gave the example to the ARPS 2023 audience of Tellus’ Chandler Project near Alice Springs as an approach that integrates Indigenous (Titjikala) knowledge and values from the outset.
“This early and open dialogue helped us build a meaningful relationship based on trust and also resulted in us receiving good advice on the layout of our construction footprint, that in the long term will ensure the safety of sacred sites and save us capital.
“Had we not received the advice at the beginning we could have built in the wrong area and it would have been a costly mistake to correct.
“This early interaction has also given us an entirely different perspective on not just the considerations, but also the opportunities in that entire region. The custodians have had connection to that particular land and its water sources for tens of thousands of years so it makes total sense that they would have valuable knowledge that we can all benefit from.”