Gomeroi custodians lose bid to protect sacred sites from NSW Shenhua coalmine

Traditional owners were suing environment minister in the federal court over areas of significant Aboriginal culture heritage in the Liverpool Plains

The Gomeroi people have lost their legal bid to protect significant areas of Aboriginal cultural heritage within the footprint of the Shenhua Watermark open-cut coalmine on the Liverpool Plains in north-west New South Wales, but said they will fight on a new front.

Gomeroi custodian Dolly Talbott was suing the environment minister, Sussan Ley, in the federal court, alleging Ley made an error of law in deciding not to make a declaration to protect the Aboriginal heritage.