-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >QUEENSLAND INDIGENOUS WORKING GROUP >Level 13/144 Edward Street Brisbane Q. 4000 >Phone: (07) 3210 6322 (07) 3006 4819 Fax: 3210 6377 > (GPO Box 3131 Brisbane Q. 4001) > >MEDIA RELEASE 26 April >2000 > >BUREAUCRATS AND MINING INTERESTS DRIVING GOVERNMENT POLICY > >The Queensland Indigenous Working Group believes proposed changes to >Queensland's legislation on environmental and mining legislation reflect the >priorities of bureaucrats and mining interests rather than Government >policy. > >'This is the only basis on which we can explain the proposed changes to the >Environmental Protection Act and the Mineral Resources Act', the Queensland >Indigenous Working Group (QIWG) said today. > >'In theory the changes are only supposed to ensure the transfer of >responsibility for environmental regulation from the Department of Mines and >Energy to the Environmental Protection Authority. > >'However in practice the opportunity has been used by the Department of >Mines and Energy and the Environmental Protection Authority to change >development approval processes in ways which favour developers, particularly >the mining industry', said the Queensland Indigenous Working Group. > >'For example developers will now be responsible for drafting the terms of >reference for assessments of their own project proposals. This means that >it will be impossible to get fair and balanced assessments of projects which >will have major impacts on landowners and communities'. > >The Queensland Indigenous Working Group says that opportunities for public >participation in development approval processes have also been reduced, for >instance because time frames for community organisations to comment on draft >assessment reports have been shortened. > >'This will disadvantage all landowners and every group which has an interest >in the impact of major projects on its community', said QIWG. > >Another aspect of the changes which concerns the Queensland Indigenous >Working Group is the attempt to prevent indigenous people from negotiating >on environmental conditions in relation to mining on their land. > >This would be done by putting environmental conditions in an Environmental >Authority which, according to the DME and the EPA, would not give rise to an >opportunity to negotiate under native title legislation. > >'When indigenous people sit down to negotiate with developers nothing is >more important to them than the opportunity to ensure that their land is >protected from environmental damage. The EPA and the DME want to take this >opportunity away from them.' > >'There has, as far as we know, been no policy decision by the Queensland >Government to reduce the rights of indigenous people in this way', said >QIWG. 'Any such decision would fly in the face of Labor Party policy'. > >'Nor has there been any policy decision to water down assessment procedures >for major projects, but this is exactly what is happening'. > >'The bureaucrats seem to be out of control and to be responding, for reasons >of their own, to developer interests'. > >The Queensland Indigenous Working Group called on the Premier, Mr Beattie >and his Cabinet to reassert control over government agencies and ensure that >the proposals put forward by bureaucrats are in line with Government policy. > > >'The basic issue here is who is in charge of this state? Mr Beattie needs to >make it clear that he and his cabinet are in charge, and not faceless >bureaucrats'. > > >Contacts: Terry O'Shane, Chair, QIWG >0417-764-992 > Rhonda Kelly, Acting Co-ordinator, QIWG 0414-459-624 > Ciaran O'Faircheallaigh, Policy Adviser, QIWG 0419-023-741 > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ 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/
