Tuesday, 13 February, 2007

ABC NT Local News

The Northern Territory Supreme Court has been told the mining warden deprived a Perth entrepreneur of his rights by refusing access to two uranium deposits.

In the minutes after restrictions were lifted in December last year, Norm McCleary staked a midnight claim over the Angela and Pamela deposits near Alice Springs.

Mr McCleary says he did not know the mining warden had denied him permission to go onto the land and went ahead with his pegging.

He is now appealing against that refusal, and says his claim should take precedence over other exploration applications.

In summing up this afternoon, Mr McLeary's lawyer, Lex Sylvester QC, told the court the warden left it until 6:00pm ACST on the night of the pegging to advise Mr McCleary's lawyers about his refusal.

He said the warden has denied his client his mining rights.

The court has also heard the Mines Department had 18 months to prepare for the now-disputed release of the two uranium deposits.

Mines Department spokesman Jeremy Whitfield has told the court former mines minister Kon Vatskalis decided to release the land after representations from mining companies.

He says it was another 18 months before the decision was formally announced.

Mr Whitfield told the court the areas were publicised as exploration targets rather than opportunities for a mineral claim because more work was needed to determine the size of the resource.