The Federal Government's NT emergency intervention became law in August 2007. This legislation included, amongst other things, amendments to the Aboriginal Land Act and the removal of the permit system which had up until then required that people who wanted to go onto Aboriginal land sought permission in the form of a permit. The justification was that the removal of this 'cumbersome' requirement would remote communities easier to police, more easily accessed by the media, and would encourage businesses to establish themselves in remote locations.
One wonders what types of businesses the Federal Goverment had in mind.
According to a website belonging to mining giant 'Deep Yellow' the following mining developments have been touted for Aboriginal Land in Central Australia:
Napperby - NW of Alice Springs, commenced drilling Sept 2007
Reynolds Range - North of Alice Springs - exploration agreement signed November 2007
Nonuouba - 70kms SW of Alice Springs - tenement granted 17 August 2007
Mt Liebig - NW of Alice Springs - negotiation of access took place 21st Nov 2007
Angela-Pamela Uranium deposit - 25kms SW of Alice Springs and with the water catchment area for the town of Alice Springs - application made late 2007, awaiting decision early 2008.
And these are only a few of the sites in central Australia. I haven't even begun looking into the Top End.
So the haste with which the legislation was introduced and passed through the two houses of Parliament in the middle of last year may have had more to do with granting mining permits than it did to do with protecting children.
Surprise! Surprise!
