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 Indigenous-mining dialogue group not a silver bullet: ACF 

Indigenous-mining dialogue group not a silver bullet: ACF

20 Feb, 2009 01:10 PM
A group set up to bridge the gap between Aboriginal Australians and uranium mining companies has been criticised as being a tool to rob native title holders of their land.

Former national ALP president and Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine has also come under scrutiny following his decision to become a board member of the Australian Uranium Association - the industry body responsible for establishing the dialogue group that Mr Mundine is now part of.

Jillian Marsh, an Adnyamathanha custodian, is one such critic who knows first hand how desperately Aboriginal people need an independent body they can turn to for impartial advice and information.

But she does not believe the dialogue group, co-convened by ten uranium industry experts and indigenous community leaders, is the answer.

"Isn't it a conflict of interest what (Mr Mundine) is doing?"

"There is just too many people working across too many boards and that is what concerns me," she said.

"And they are not closely enough connected with the communities who are dealing with this stuff on the ground."

The Beverley Uranium Mine site, based 520km north of Adelaide, rests at the northern end of the Flinders Ranges on the traditional lands of Ms Marsh and her ancestors.

"I went all around that country with my parents ... and now to see what is happening under native title and to see our lands just being ripped out in front of us," she said.

"Not having the right to say no to this, not being able to stop this destruction from going on, it makes me feel really sick.

"The way that money is being used to bribe Aboriginal people is really unethical," she said.

"We never talk about how these decisions split families up and divide communities.

"The native title process is failing them."

Holding its first dialogue group meeting this week, AUA executive director Michael Angwin said it was "too early" to speculate what deals might done with native title holders to secure future mining sites.

"We regard this group as a key stakeholder group ... to whom we can go to for advice on the bigger issues affecting our industry," he said.

Australian Conservation Foundation nuclear-free campaigner Dave Sweeney said indigenous communities had "been a major impediment for the uranium industry for a very long time".

"This is an absolutely cynical attempt on the part of the industry to reposition itself as an industry that listens, cares and is concerned," he said.

Mr Sweeney conceded some ACF members held biased viewpoints, but said "by the same coin" he was also concerned the information passed on to Aboriginal communities by the dialogue group might not be entirely balanced.

"No trader calls out 'bad fish'," he said.

"This information will be slanted.

"It is a group that is comprised of and paid for by Australian explorers and producers of uranium.

"It is not some balanced, measured, disinterested, impartial body, it is an industry advocacy group that is trying to facilitate the expansion of the uranium industry in Australia."

Mr Angwin, a former Rio Tinto executive, was open about the fact that discussions with indigenous community leaders would likely benefit the industry, but denied the group was borne out of any frustrations in gaining access to future mine sites or locations suitable for low-level nuclear waste.

"The impetus for this group came from a series of discussions which identified a series of common ideas," he said.

"If people have the right information... they'll come to good decisions and that's what we really want here - for people to make informed decisions based on evidence and not fear.

"If Aboriginal communities decide they don't want to be engaged with uranium, then so be it."

However, Mr Sweeney said Aboriginal people had no right of veto under the current native title system and that development applications were "profoundly weighted in favour of business".

"A lack of consent is not sufficient to stop development proceeding," he said.

"They act as if Aboriginal people have the right to say no and that this is an even playing field, but that is totally misleading."

As the chief executive of Native Title Services Corp, Mr Mundine said it was likely that most future mine developments would be established on indigenous land.

"I'm (part of the dialogue group) for the indigenous people, to put their viewpoints forward," he said.

Mr Sweeney said he questioned whether or not Mr Mundine would represent solely the interests of Aboriginal Australians during discussions, given his "unashamed support for the promotion of the industry" in the past.

"If you sit on the board, then you have nailed your colours to the mast," he said.

"It's no surprise, as he has for a long time pushed this barrow."

Mr Mundine said the ALP during its 2007 national conference scrapped its policy opposing the establishment of new uranium mines.

"And so this is an opportunity for development of the industry here for larger mining activity to happen," he said.

"We need to ensure that indigenous people receive the benefits that they so rightly deserve in the social and economic areas."

Mr Sweeney said he did not believe education, employment and infrastructure should be linked to mining operation approvals.

"They are citizenship entitlements," he told AAP.

"What does that say to those Aboriginal people who do not have access to the potential of a uranium mine?

"Do you only get out of the poverty trap if you've got a uranium mine on your country?"

"For the industry to say `we are the silver bullet, we will solve (Aboriginal dislocation)'; it flies in the face of reality and the lived Aboriginal experience," Mr Sweeney said.

"It is a cynical PR exercise."

The federal government last year granted the approval of a six-fold expansion of the Beverley Uranium Mine.

It is understood native title processes between the Beverley Uranium Mine operator, Heathgate Resources and the Adnyamathanha elders are ongoing.

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
The nuclear industry knows that it is statistically inevitable that one day there will be a nuclear catastrophe - whether it be a purposeful or accidental nuclear weapons use, a terrorist strike, an accident due to technical fault or human error. That will bring the industry to a sudden close. It would also be a disaster if traditional aboriginal lands and waterways were by then irrevocably damaged by uranium mining. The so-called "nuclear renaissance" is a gamble, in which the aboriginal people stand to lose, whether the collapse of the uranium industry "bonanza"comes soon or later.
Posted by ChristinaMac, 20/02/2009 8:36:44 PM
I simply cannot believe we are even discussing uranium mining and nuclear energy. They should fall into a category of their own next to other tabu issues like license to kill and starting forest fires. No place in this planet for it; period. We do not need it. Regards, Mig
Posted by Mig, 23/02/2009 12:00:57 PM
This is how colonial powers and big companies have always dealt with subject peoples: divide and rule. Unfortunately, Native Title legislation facilitates the emergence of pretenders who can be bought off to the disadvantage of the traditional owners and custodians who are less likely to endorse environmentally damaging practices. Jillian is courageous enough to report it happening in her community. I believe a similar statement was made recently on the Coober Pedy Regional Times wesbite by a Kokatha traditional woman upset at the proposed expansion of Olympic Dam.
Posted by mike-servethepeople, 23/02/2009 2:11:35 PM
The Real Environmentalis who hasn't done his homework stands out doesn't he? Why is he on this brilliant website criticising freedom of opinion anyway. You got you have go funny boy. What are you saying, aboriginal people should give YOU their land. You really need a life as you obviouslyhaven't had an education. Jillian Marsh is highly respect and positive. Should we all be negative and greedy like you? Ok here's mainstream MATE!! And if you want some more, just write back. CREATIVE ACCOUNTING ROBS ABORIGINES OF FUNDS Credit to the Age for being so new-age Joel Gibson and Debra Jopson August 21, 2007 HUNDREDS of millions of dollars the Commonwealth claims to have spent on indigenous affairs has either never been spent, been used to benefit all Australians or gone towards opposing native title claims. A significant portion of the billions the Government has said it has spent since 2000, climbing annually to $3 billion last year, was either underspent or the result of creative accounting, an Age investigation has found. Over the past six years, at least $30 million the Government promoted as being for Aborigines was used to oppose indigenous native title and compensation claims. Spending figures have been bloated by money spent on services for all Australians, such as medical centres, but the money is described as the "black dollar". Creative accounting has helped create the impression that Aboriginal spending is soaring. Three years ago, Centrelink indigenous spending rose from $46.6 million to $85.8 million by including base service expenses for delivering age pensions to indigenous people. The Government spent almost $110 million less than it said it would in its indigenous budget last financial year, according to the Opposition. The shortfall included more than $25 million on health services, $9 million for the family violence partnership program, $9.8 million for Indigenous Business Australia's equity and investments, and $37.4 million for Abstudy for tertiary students. Almost $250,000 spent over the past six years on courts and tribunals sorting out native title issues has been counted as money for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Mal Brough said all indigenous expenditure listed in his Government's budgets was genuine. "It's not the only money allocated to indigenous affairs in this country," he said. The health, education and roads budgets benefited indigenous people but were not listed separately, he said. There had been underspending on items in the indigenous budget, because organisations that may have been eligible had been found wanting, he said.
Posted by Jeremiah, 24/02/2009 6:56:16 PM
I wonder which aboriginal people and communities these aboriginal leaders represent. As an aboriginal person who has experienced the way some of these so called leaders have represented us I would like to say that they dont represent us on any issues let uranium mining. We have our own structures and decision making processes under our lore and culture and the Native Title act and none of the leaders listed represent us. So again I ask the question whose interests do they really represent if not their own or the uranium mining industry. I would urge people to contact the Traditional owners of whatever lands the uranium deposits are on. What we dont need is another group saying they represent or lead aboriginal people when that isnt the case
Posted by TO, 26/02/2009 9:13:21 AM
Do people really beleive that these leaders represent aboriginal people. We have our own structures and decision making processes. We are quite capable of negotiating with these companies and the uranium industry on our own terms. We have deposits of uranium on our land and are involved in negotiations with several companies. I would have to ask who do they really represent because they dont represent us. Dont be fooled
Posted by TO, 26/02/2009 9:21:25 AM
Warren Mundine has been said to be of mixed descent. Is he yet another Trojan Horse sent in to speed up the Native Title signatory system? Warren Mundine is not a Traditional Owner or a Lore Maker or a spokesperson of the many aboriginal tribes of this land. How can he be? Where is his tribe and following? If this wasn't so sad and obvious it would almost be a joke. Unless you make a notable name by doing something "White", you wouldn't get this media attention or "name acclaim". The government and Native Title need to learn, with manners and decorum, how to accept the NO word and stop looking for loopholes. So far in a very short time unless Mundine is blind and well as a dreamer, he would see as the rest of us do that Australia is doomed for ecological desctruction, as if we aren't nearly there already!
Posted by Jeremiah, 6/03/2009 5:51:55 AM
i honestly believe that this action of mining is destroying there beautiful land but with out all this mining australia will lose money and that will make it worse off for australians. uranium is a rare mineral and soon there wil be none left. so need not worry soon australia will strick rock and the mining will stop for the half life to create uranium is over a million yrs. Australia should be thinking about investing or mining ecological and replenishable materials that AUSTRALIA its self would benifite. im 17 n i am a physics student and this is a wonderful debate and a great example of the conflicts in our uranium mining culture seen as australia has the largest uranium supply in the world and we do not use nuclear power plants as a source of energy but as a way to sell uranium for a profit. we are very close to a ecologicol collapse and it will happin sooner or later whether the mining does it or the deforistations or the polution that will always be there no matter how we reduce our exhaust usage.
Posted by laura, 30/05/2009 10:59:52 AM

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