-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4 April 2000 > >Statement by the Queensland Indigenous Working Group > > The Queensland Mining Council 'caught out' by QIWG > >The Queensland Mining Council has been caught red-handed making "misleading >and deceptive public statements" on native title. > >The Queensland Indigenous Working Group says the QMC's Chief Executive, >Michael Pinnock, made three misleading and deceptive public statements on >commercial radio last Friday. > >In his first wrong statement Mr Pinnock said that the Queensland Government >has not been able to issue exploration permits for four years because of the >native title process. > >The facts are that the Queensland Government could have issued exploration >permits at any time over that time, irrespective whether native title >existed or not > >The Borbidge Government chose not to do so for political reasons. > >The Beattie Government and the mining industry have also chosen not to issue >these permits for a further two years. > >They pinned all their hopes on the passage of the Queensland native title >legislation through the Senate. > >In his second wrong statement Mr Pinnock said that under the Commonwealth >Native Title Act, the Government cannot issue permits until agreements are >reached with native title holders. > >The truth is you don't need agreement with native title holders to issue >permits under the Commonwealth Act. > >If no agreement is reached, then the National Native Title Tribunal decides >whether the permit is issued, and on what terms. > >The Tribunal's decision can be overridden by the Minister in certain >circumstances. The whole process must be completed in less than 12 months. > >In his third wrong statement he claimed that until the Queensland native >title legislation comes into effect "there is absolutely nothing anybody >can do. There is no shortcuts" > >The facts are that QIWG has already engaged with the Queensland Government >in 1998-1999 to clear the backlog of small opal and gold mining leases. > > The QIWG is now actively engaged with the Government in a similar strategy >for all exploration permits in Queensland. > >There is plenty of work to do, but the QMC prefers to put its efforts into >lobbying politicians to enact unjust laws. > >Instead of rolling up their sleeves and working with QIWG members to fix >the problem fairly for everyone's benefit. > >The underlying message in Mr Pinnock's false statements is that you can't >get agreements with Aborigines, so you have to take their rights away. > >Yet the scorecard of facts puts the lie to this proposition. > >The facts are that every week in Queensland and elsewhere native title >holders are making agreements so that new developments of various types can >get moving. > >Unfortunately it appears the public will suffer more campaigns of fear and >deception from the QMC. > >But the truth is that it's been open for the miners and explorers to use the >processes of the Federal native title act for years. > >It is they and successive Queensland governments who have chosen not to. > >Media Comment: Terry O'Shane, Chairman QIWG, mobile: 041776499 > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
