MAJOR Road Projects Victoria has condemned protesters as "grossly disrespectful" after they blocked workers from cutting down a tree on Wednesday morning.
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A Major Road Projects Victoria spokesperson said the protest undermined an agreement reached between the road authority and representative Indigenous groups, formed in October 2019.
The agreement relates to the 3.85 kilometre section between Dobie Road and Langi Ghiran Picnic Ground Road, where works are currently being carried out. The applicants agreed to not interfere with or cause delay to these works.
"The actions of the protesters that arrived on site (Wednesday) are grossly disrespectful to the representatives of the Djab Wurrung people who approved and are supervising this work," a spokeswoman said.
The tree was identified as a potential mortuary tree in the Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the approved alignment in 2012.
A mortuary tree is a significant Aboriginal place where human remains were placed in a tree trunk or branch hollow.
MRPV said it has communicated with Traditional Owners about the tree since and Traditional Owner monitors were on site when the tree was planned for removal to ensure no human remains or grave goods were present.
The endoscope did not identify human remains.
"Work is continuing on the 3.85km section of the upgrade as agreed with representatives of the protest group including Jidah Clark, Merikki Onus, Sandra Onus and Majorie Thorpe," the spokesperson said.
MRPV previously realigned plans to avoid 15 trees of Aboriginal significance.
Wednesday January 29:
ACTIVISTS have stopped Major Road Projects Victoria workers from cutting a tree down along the proposed Western Highway Duplication Project Wednesday morning.
A number of activists arrived at the Dobie work site and blocked the workers from cutting the tree down because they believe it holds cultural value.
At its peak there was about 12 activists on-site.
Major Road Projects workers called police to the peaceful protest about 10.30am.
"VicRoads want to remove (the tree) so they can put some Armco railing down the side," Sergeant Shane Allgood of Ararat said.
"There's been some negotiation (between activists and workers), showing what's inside and they've explained that it's got some cultural significance."
Sergeant Allgood said Major Road Projects Victoria and other stakeholders will now meet "behind closed doors" to work out what would happen next around the tree.
Until then the tree will remain.
"They are just not going to take the risk of cutting it down today while (activists) are sitting underneath it so they'll leave it for today and hopefully in a few weeks it can be resolved by people higher up," he said.
It is unclear what negotiations will take place or how Wednesday's development will impact works.
Activists at the scene declined to comment.
Previous Western Highway stories:
- Ararat police call for good behaviour between protesters and the community
- Djab Wurrung await decision judge's decision over Western Highway project
- Lawyers gear up for another Western Highway legal challenge
- Western Highway activists asked to vacate land
- Western Highway activists' eviction notice yet to be actioned
- Western Highway delay impacts not clear
- Buangor man discusses real impacts of highway delay
- Speed limit restricted at the Western Highway duplication protest site
- Tree removal to begin along Western Highway duplication project outside Ararat
- Highway protesters claim moratorium on tree removal
- Activists blockade Western Highway duplication at Ararat | Photos
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