Push to tap into Cape York gas potential
A MINING exploration firm says the Bamaga Basin could be home to trillions of cubic feet of natural gas able to provide Northern Australia with reliable energy.
Gulf Energy managing director Wolfgang Fischer will give a presentation at the Developing Northern Australia Conference today, outlining the economic benefits a largescale mining operation could bring the region.
Northern Land Council chief executive officer Joe Morrison touched on the role of mining companies in Aboriginal communities during an impassioned speech at the conference yesterday.
Speaking afterwards, he said a shift in both culture and governance was needed to allow indigenous landholders to exercise proven legal land rights without being repeatedly bogged down in lengthy court processes.
Mr Morrison said the “topdown” system of telling Aboriginal people what fiscal programs they should pursue had been proven to fail. Instead, they should be empowered to empower themselves.
“Aboriginal people need to be asked about what sort of industry they actually want, rather than responding to third parties, which is how native title and land rights have been set up,” he said.
“Aboriginal people have been recognised as having a bundle of rights or owning the title, but it’s usually third parties such as a mining company that wants to do something.
“We should be thinking about Aboriginal people as being mining developers in their own rights, if they wish to go down that route.”
Mr Morrison said indigenous people wanted to be part of the development agenda, not just talking from the fringes.
“There has been very little for Aboriginal people to get involved in with policy development,” he said. POLICE have charged two people with drug offences after a raid at a Woree house last Friday. Cannabis plants, dried cannabis, tablets, cash and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found at the Moana Cl home. A 50-year-old Babinda woman was charged with three counts of possessing a dangerous drug while the 42-year-old Woree man was charged with producing dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime. They are due to face Cairns Magistrates Court on July 3. TWO men are set to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court next month following investigations into the alleged theft of a credit card. The card was allegedly stolen on May 20 before being dishonestly used. The pair, aged 47 and 26 were charged following a search warrant at a McLeod St property on Sunday. They are due to appear in court on July 10.