Australia's aborigines cry 'Noonkanbah' when the West Australian government started acquiring land for Woodside Petroleum Limited's (ASX: WPL) $30 billion gas project.

Kimberley Land Council (KLC) chief Wayne Bergmann said, “This is outrageous. This only provides certainty for a rich mining company to make billions of dollars for their shareholders.” Bergmann led the negotiations on behalf of traditional owners of the land north of Broome.

The chief negotiator claims, “I've been talking to a whole range of Aboriginal people around Australia, I've been talking to a whole range of unions who battled on the ground in Noonkanbah. I think the tension levels are rising well beyond any expectations.”

The award-winning musician John Butler has joined the campaign. He said , “Some things are worth more than money... This is our land and our culture, this is one of the most pristine places in the world.”

Premier Colin Barnett insisted, though, that employment opportunities for Kimberley Aborigines and the nation are at risk if the Woodside project is delayed. He said, “I cannot simply allow further generations on welfare dependency... I have been remarkably patient.”

Woodside, the state government, and the KLC signed an agreement last year. The settlement carries a benefits package worth $1.5 billion in exchange for the land. However, the KLC broke off from the deal and went to court.