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From the Adelaide Advertiser :
THE return of the mysterious Marree Man was hailed as a potential windfall for the South Australian outback – but government bureaucrats have launched a criminal investigation into those who rejuvenated the iconic landmark.
The
famous 4.5km geolyth, in the form of an Aboriginal warrior, appeared in the desert in 1998 after a bush pilot spotted the giant and unique artwork.
While the bush reclaimed the original artwork years ago and its creator remains a mystery,
a group of local businessmen helped organise graders to ensure the return of Marree Man in August and September this year.
The project –
which won the enthusiastic backing of entrepreneur Dick Smith – has instead incurred the ire of investigators from the Department of Environment, Water and Resources.
The Advertiser was on Friday handed a warrant – signed off by a magistrate – demanding information about stories written about the return of the Marree Man in September.
The disappearance of the Marree Man
The warrant states the department is investigating whether proponents of the project had committed the offence of unlawfully clearing native vegetation.
Marree Hotel publican Phil Turner played an integral role in the project and said he was shocked the Environment Department was investigating potential criminal charges.
“This is so typical of the Weatherill government, just bureaucratic stupidity and complete inability to grasp the reality of the fact that there are people with a desire to have it restored in the interests of tourism and we did it with the utmost sense of responsibility,” he said.
Mr Turner said he was this weekend expecting groups of tourists who had flown and driven to the area “just to fly over the Marree Man”.
“They are enthralled with it, it’s captivating Australia – it’s just what the Far North of South Australia needs – and to have that sort of behaviour going on over what was created in the first place, it is just bureaucracy gone mad,” Mr Turner said.
A view of the Marree Man from the air.“It is a complete waste of money and effort and whoever is behind promoting this course of action should be told very politely to go home and pull their bloody head in,” Mr Turner said.Mr Turner said he had consulted extensively with the local Arabunna people before embarking on the ambitious project.
“In the footsteps of those who restore Rembrandts to lesser-known artists, we did nothing more than add credibility to the original artists,” he said.
“Protecting the original artist’s work was of paramount importance, so we did nothing more than the original artist did.”
Mr Turner said he was not worried about the investigation and had a clear conscience about the project.
“I don’t have any concerns. I am very proud of what we have done and I’ve been super proud of the Arabunna people with how they have handled this and worked with us,” he said.
Marree Hotel owner Phil Turner at the site of the Marree man where he recently helped restore the artwork.Dick Smith, who donated money to the Arabunna people to construct an airstrip to ferry tourists over the site, described the investigation as “bureaucracy gone mad”.
“I am staggered, that is a real pity and I think it’s really terrible that they are doing that,” he said.
“We’ve just gone mad as a country. People are just fed up with our present governments and political systems and the complete overkill of regulation.”
A government spokesman last night confirmed an investigation was underway after “complaints (were) received in relation to the Marree Man”.
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