Antinuclear

Native title ‘reforms’ slammed http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/native-title-reforms-slammed/story-fn9hm1pm-1226490977811  BY:MICHAEL OWEN  The Australian October 09, 2012 THE government-funded native title service provider in South Australia has lashed state Labor for cosying up to miners with moves to streamline approvals in indigenous areas and strip away Aboriginal rights.

Native Title Services chief executive Keith Thomas accused Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis of adopting an inaccurate and inflammatory position on reforming the state’s Aboriginal Heritage Act, and said the Labor government had revealed its true colours.

“This government has clearly demonstrated its attitude to Aboriginal people with recent moves to remove native title rights in relation to petroleum exploration and production in the Cooper Basin and traditional fishing rights on the Yorke Peninsula,” Mr Thomas said.

“Now they want to remove Aboriginal people’s rights in relation to heritage and mining.”His comments come after the government’s Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement, Khatija Thomas, called on Labor to reopen consultation before it drafted new legislation to reform the act.

He vowed to “freshen up” the state’s Aboriginal Heritage Act because red tape and legal challenges by indigenous groups were delaying important projects.

Mr Thomas challenged the minister to provide evidence for his “misleading and inflammatory comments”. “Recent decisions of the court have highlighted the failures of both government and industry to comply with legislation,” Mr Thomas said.

“This government and the mining industry need to think about complying with their statutory obligations to negotiate with Aboriginal people, rather than diverting the focus from them and attempting, yet again, to blame Aboriginal people for a hold up in mining activities.”

Mr Thomas said many miners undertook exploration without consulting and negotiating agreements with Aboriginal people as required under law.