{
  "id": 2638634,
  "title": "Traditional owners relieved they won't have to watch another Juukan Gorge disaster",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/traditional-owners-relieved-they-wont-have-to-watch-another-juukan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T20:05:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-23/wangkamadla-traditional-owners-pilungah-celebration/107056778"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "After three generations, the Wangkamadla people have gathered on their ancestral land to celebrate the protection of Pilungah Reserve as a special wildlife reserve. Mining companies once believed this extensive area, located on Queensland's western border, held valuable minerals. Conservation group Bush Heritage Australia hopes other states will adopt these unique laws. Avelina Tarrago, a member of the Wangkamadla community, feels a sense of relief as she enters the gorge, also known as Painted Gorge. The familiar dunes of Pilungah Reserve are interrupted by rocky walls adorned with ritual geometric shapes depicting ancient song lines connected to the Wangkamadla's ceremonies. The Wangkamadla woman, a mother and barrister, had worried that her family might be forced to witness the destruction of cultural sites by mining, similar to the Juukan Gorge disaster in Western Australia. In 2023, the Wangkamadla people applied for Pilungah and Ethabuka reserves to become special wildlife reserves, but existing resource exploration permits had to be withdrawn first. Ms. Tarrago, as a director of Mulligan River Aboriginal Corporation, convinced mining and petroleum companies to withdraw four exploration leases from the remote reserves, including at Nganganterre. The state government granted the request in April to permanently protect Pilungah from industry activities. Ms. Tarrago's mother, Isabel, breaks into song while sitting in the gorge, continuing her people's ceremonial history at the site. The reserve's designation as Queensland's third special wildlife reserve is crucial to prevent mining, as it would be like personally harming the Wangkamadla people, their knowledge holders. Archaeologist Iain Davidson has spent his career studying the significance of Aboriginal art and has worked with the Wangkamadla people for over 40 years. He was \"blown away\" when he first saw the petroglyphs at Painted Gorge, which he links to similar images in other desert locations across Central Australia. Conservation organization Bush Heritage Australia's Felicity Shapland said the protections would also help conserve wildlife, including the rare fat-tailed Pseudantechinus. The not-for-profit organization must now report annually to the government on how it is protecting the land. Bush Heritage hopes this example will inspire other states to introduce similar laws for private reserves, as it is the only national-park-equivalent-level protection in Australia. With recent rainfall revitalizing the region's life, Ms. Tarrago believes the story of Pilungah could demonstrate the potential for incorporating Indigenous knowledge into the land-conservation movement.",
  "summary": "Mining companies had believed Pilungah Reserve on Queensland's border with the Northern Territory held critical minerals. Now, three generations of traditional owners have gathered on country to celebrate its protection.",
  "key_points": [
    "Wangkamadla people celebrate protection of Pilungah Reserve",
    "Mining companies withdrew exploration leases for Pilungah",
    "Reserve designated as Queensland's third special wildlife reserve"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}