Indigenous group ‘refused entry’ to McArthur River Mine site

 A man claiming cultural ties to the McArthur River Mine (MRM) site says a group of women and children have been refused entry to sacred land by management.

Jackie Green says about 25 people wanted to perform a cultural dance on land just inside the boundaries of the mine site yesterday, but were stopped at the gate.

The group had a documentary film crew and a representative of the Territory Environment Centre with them.

Mr Green says the mine should allow local Indigenous people to exercise their culture on the land.

“We can’t exercise our culture any more because they’ve got that lease and they’re stopping us from doing that,” he said.

Mr Green says he was embarrassed when a mining company executive arrived at the stand-off in a helicopter.

“The manager of McArthur Mine, Brian Hearne, landed the chopper, right in front of the Toyota that I was driving,” he said.

“All the dust and grass was blowing into my kid’s eyes, and that was really embarrassing.

“We feel no good because we can’t go back in there and exercise our culture.”

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/26/1988930.htm?section=justin

Xstrata finally makes payment

Amazing what happens when a bit of pressure is applied. It seems the open-cut mine is being credited with improving profitiability before it has even been developed. I wonder if the 26 million had anything to do with Clare Martin’s support for this project? what is the going rate for some ‘quick fix’ legislation to help a  mate? no wonder the Traditional owners couldn’t get a fair hearing.

 From Rueters

Swiss-based mining company Xstrata  said on Monday it had made an initial royalty payment to Australia’s Northern Territory government from its McArthur River zinc and lead mine, where it is appealing a court ruling against a major revamp.

Xstrata has been proceeding with construction work to transform the underground lode into an open pit mine while awaiting the outcome of an appeal over a court ruling that said the Northern Territory government failed to follow the correct legal procedure when it approved the revamp.

Xstrata has warned that if it not allowed to dig an open pit at the site — costing A$110 million ($96 million) — it will be forced to close the mine, which opened in 1995.

The company said it had made a royalty payment of A$13.06 million to the Northern Territory government, representing half the total payment for calendar 2007.

“Payment of royalties is largely dependent on global commodity prices and the recovery of costs of both the mine’s establishment and the open pit development,” Xstrata said in a statement Monday.

Xstrata wants to dig an open pit at the mine to replace an ageing underground operation that is running out of rich ore, requiring the diversion of the McArthur River for 5.5 km (3.4 miles).

It won approval from the Territory’s Ministry of Mines last year, but the decision was overturned by a legal challenge by traditional Aboriginal land owners. Environmentalists fear that prolonged rainy seasons pose a risk that contaminated seepage from mining and milling will reach the 300-km long McArthur River.

A changeover would give the mine the capacity to produce about 430,000 tonnes of zinc and lead-bearing concentrate a year, up from 320,000 tonnes.

It would also carry the potential to produce a bulk-type concentrate, or ground ore, with lower lead content, which could be processed in conventional smelters, the company said.

McArthur River yielded 135,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate last year, but output was expected to be less than half that this year, allowing for the pre-stripping work needed for the move to an open pit. ($1=A$1.15)

Rueters…

McArthur River Mine decision a victory for traditional owners

Northern Land Council (NLC) Chief Executive, Norman Fry, today declared that the judgment of the Northern Territory Court of Appeal in relation to McArthur River Mine was a victory for traditional owners.

“The only reason the Full Bench upheld McArthur River Mine’s appeal was because of the unfair and undemocratic retrospective legislation introduced by Chris Natt, which prevented the Court from considering Justice Angel’s decision.” 

“The Court refused to hear McArthur River Mine’s legal arguments. 

“The Full Court recognised the unfairness of the legislation to traditional owners by preserving Justice Angel’s decision that the Northern Territory Government and the mine pay the traditional owners’ legal costs of the court case,” said Mr Fry.

Traditional owners will continue their fight for justice including in Federal Court proceedings which resume on 30 July 2007 in Darwin.

Xstrata appeals against mine expansion ruling

 The owners of the McArthur River mine near Borroloola in the Northern Territory have begun an appeal against a Supreme Court ruling in April, which blocked their expansion plans.

In October 2006 Minister Chris Natt approved an application by Xstrata to convert operations from underground to open cut and divert the McArthur River.

The Supreme Court later upheld legal action by traditional owners ruling the approval process was flawed.

The Northern Territory Government then legislated against that decision allowing the mine’s expansion to go ahead.

Despite this Xstrata is today appealing against the original court decision, which it argues still sets a legal precedent which could affect future mine approvals.

 from the abc…

Win a McArthur River photo

July is a big month for the McArthur River with the Supreme Court Appeal and the Federal Court Challenge, so mcarthuriver is taking a break in the bush before things get busy.

I invite blog readers/supporters to submit comments in my absense, be they prose, poetry or images. If they are too big for the comments section then email them to freshwater@ecnt.org and I will post them on my return. The prize for the best entry is a 50cm photo of the McArthur River Protestors on the Steps of Parliament, Darwin.