A sacred Aboriginal site has been dug up for a rubbish tip by a federal intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal communities subcontractor.
It is the second time ceremonial land has been accidentally damaged since the intervention was launched in June last year.
Major General David Chalmers, head of the intervention roll-out, today apologised for the blunder at Wilora, near the Stuart Highway about 260km north of Alice Springs.
In a statement he said an investigation would be conducted into the incident involving the young men's ceremony ground.
"Work to upgrade a community rubbish tip at Wilora was contracted to an indigenous organisation based in Barrow Creek, which sub-contracted workers from a nearby station who cleared an area for the tip which mistakenly extended into a ceremonial area," Major General Chalmers said.
"I regard any damage to areas of significance to indigenous people as a very serious and unfortunate matter and have expressed our sorrow to the traditional owners in this instance."
Maj Gen Chalmers said he had met elders from the community and reached an agreement about rehabilitating the site.
Central Land Council (CLC) director David Ross said he had spoken to locals, who said they were pleased by efforts to fix the problem.
But, he said, the incident highlighted the need for all parties involved with the intervention to be consulted before major works were carried out in remote areas.
He said the CLC had not been asked to carry out a site clearance before the start of work, which would have avoided the problem.
"The sub-contractor did have a traditional owner present during the works but more appropriate senior men were absent," he said.
In November, it was revealed a pit toilet had been built on an important ceremony ground at Numbulwar in Arnhem Land, about 600km south-east of Darwin.
At the time, Maj Gen Chalmers said he would investigate the claim while critics of the intervention said it proved the government's approach was rushed and culturally insensitive.
