YANNER AGREES TO TALKS ON CENTURY
26.07.1996
ABORIGINAL leader Murrandoo Yanner has
backed down on his refusal to participate in fresh negotiations over the billion
-dollar Century Zinc mine in north-west Queensland.
Mr Yanner, the Carpentaria Land Council co-ordinator, yesterday agreed to take part in talks under the Native Title process after meeting senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission officials in Burketown this week.
The delegation, headed by ATSIC acting chairman Ray Robinson, also included ATSIC commissioner for the Gulf and Cape York region, Gerhardt Pearson, and chairman of the Mt Isa and Gulf Regional ATSIC Council, Colin Saltmere.
Mr Robinson met yesterday afternoon with Premier's Department co-ordinator general John Down to organise meetings with Premier Rob Borbidge and ministers on the mine project.
Under the Native Title Act, the parties to the negotiations _ mine developers Century Zinc Ltd, the Carpentaria Land Council, tribal corporations of the Gulf country and the Queensland Government _ have four months from August 5 in which to reach agreement.
Should agreement not be reached by December 5, the issue
can be referred to the Native Title Tribunal for arbitration. If resolution is still elusive, the federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister _ who has a statutory right of
veto on the claims _ must be informed.
The project stalled on July 15 when RTZ CRA dropped its requests for special legislation to secure title over the mine site and land need for a pipeline.
The company said it would revert to negotiation under the Native Title Act. It was acting on legal advice that any ""special'' legislation would be in breach of the Racial Discrimination Act and would not withstand Appeal Court challenge.
Mr Borbidge was surprised by the change of tack by Century
management and accused them of ""double-crossing'' the Queensland Government.
And an angry Mr Yanner said at the time that Aboriginal groups had voted to cease negotiations.
But Mr Yanner yesterday released a statement in which he said the Aboriginal organisations had ""decided they will continue to negotiate with RTZ CRA under the native title process''.
He said talks could resume the ""divide-and-conquer tactics being applied to the communities by the company and the Government had to cease immediately''.
RTZ CRA spokesman Jim Singer said the company was required to negotiate with native title claimants in good faith.
But a significant stumbling block still exists.
Mr Yanner said the route of the slurry pipeline was negotiable but Gulf Aboriginal people were adamant they did not want it to cross their land.
He said the pipeline should go through Townsville and not
north-east to the Gulf fisheries port of Karumba, as was preferred by the company.
"Everybody in Australia agrees with that and, if that issue is not resolved, I'll be speared the next time I go to Mornington Island,'' he said.
Mr Robinson said last night the Burketown meeting had agreed that all issues were on the table for negotiation, including the pipeline.
"We will negotiate the route of the pipeline and get the
traditional people from the area to walk the route to identify sacred sites,'' he said.
"This will be the same as the agreement we negotiated for the south-west gas pipeline that links Wallumbilla and Eromanga. It will be finished soon and the cultural management plan drawn up there will be the model for Century.
"This move by the traditional owners is genuine. They are willing to sit down and negotiate and we will help them. If they can't get professional legal help, we'll provide it from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Legal Service Secretariat.
"I told them this was the way they had to go or they would end up with nothing, it's as simple as that.
