The Hindmarsh Island bridge dispute in the 1990s led to a royal commission in South Australia, legal action and a divisive debate about Aboriginal spiritual beliefs.

The royal commission found claims of secret women’s business had been fabricated.

But a Federal Court ruling later acknowledged the claims were not made up.

Ah, that makes it OK, then.

But for Tom Trevorrow from the Ngarrindjeri people it [the bridge] remains a scar on the landscape.

“So many bad things have been happening in that area,” he said.

Mr Trevorrow believes the bridge has brought calamity to the drought-stricken lower Murray region.

“That was what was said by our elders. If you go ahead with this and build this bridge and do this to us, bad things will happen.

“We have been sitting back witnessing these bad things and Ngarrindjeri people have been suffering internally, culturally and spiritually.”

They are caused by a bridge sending “bad vibes”, not by oppression & near genocide exacted by white invaders, and global warming, and rapciously greedy irrigators?

I know which one I would choose: reality!

Mr Trevorrow wants a ferry service established across the lower Murray as an alternative.

“Just because we are forced to use the bridge to get over there to maintain connection with our country culturally and spiritually, the Ngarrindjeri people, it doesn’t mean that we are not giving up pursuing a ferry or a culturally-appropriate access somewhere around the island,” he said.

Now that is just plain STUPID. As we all know, iron ferries do not possess evil spirits, but iron bridges do? Gimme a break.

How much will it cost to install a ferry service, just to pander to religious (sorry: “spiritual”) bullshit?

I won’t drive to Melbourne from Adelaide because of my spiritual beliefs, therefore the taxpayers should pay for all of my airfares.
If it works for him, then it can work for me.

ABC Story

Update: Mr Trevorrow has changed his mind and is using the bridge of death.

“We may use the bridge to access our land and waters but culturally and morally we cannot come to terms with this bridge,” he said.

I wonder if he knows the airspeed of an unladen swallow?