A Wiradjuri man from southern New South Wales has described a $1,500 fine for the destruction of hundreds of Aboriginal artefacts as disgraceful.
UK-based company METKA EGN destroyed the stone manufacturing and hunting tools while conducting earthworks at its solar farm development at Bomen in Wagga Wagga's north.
Mark Saddler was one of the local Indigenous people who provided evidence of the artefacts to the company.
"We still have stone tools that lay there and we protect them and we still take out young men and learn about that."
An investigation by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment found the company had carried out work before getting an Aboriginal heritage impact permit in July 2020.
Mr Saddler said the fine was too low and set a worrying precedent.
"They jumped the gun and went in there first before we were supposed to do our two to three weeks' recovery and salvage of special artefacts," Mr Saddler said.
"A $1,500 fine is completely out of line with what occurred and shows complete disrespect and understanding of Wiradjuri people, land and items."
Mr Saddler also wants the company to make up for its mistake by helping to fund an Indigenous learning centre at the site.
"The [fine] money is no good to me, the money is no good to my people. I would rather see something put back as a cultural centre out there or something that we can use."
Member for Wagga Wagga Joe McGirr said the fine was a "slap in the face" and he would raise the issue with the Minister.
"These penalties need to be a bit harsher or there needs to be some other way or some other means by which the hurt and distress is recognised, [so] people don't just assume that if they just pay a fine they can just get away with breaching any guidelines that are set down, whether that's environmental, cultural or community," he said.
The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said higher penalties were only enforceable by a court.
A spokesperson said there was insufficient evidence for a successful prosecution of METKA EGN for harm to Aboriginal objects, and the company had been issued with a warning letter.
Solar farm expansion approved despite breach
The NSW Independent Planning Panel approved a $27 million expansion to the Bomen solar farm in November.
It said the compliance records of applicants were not considered in the planning process, and the breach played no role in the decision to approve the expansion.
Dr McGirr said that decision needed further scrutiny.
"There's been a breach, a small fine, a warning letter and yet that doesn't seem to have been taken into account."
METKA EGN and the office of Planning Minister Rob Stokes have been contacted for comment.
