Sunday, 6 August, 2006

by Ben Langford
NT News

MINING -- including uranium -- must only go ahead in consultation with Aboriginal traditional owners, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has said at the Garma Festival at Arnhem Land.

"No mining of any description should take place in a way that doesn't involve traditional owners in consultation," Mr Beazley said. "We don't regard uranium any different."

Speaking to the Sunday Territorian at the Garma festival at Gulkula on the Gove Peninsula, Mr Beazley said he came to pay his respects.

"This is the most effective political and cultural statement made to the broader Australian community by an indigenous community anywhere," he said.

"It's pitched into the right set of airwaves."

Mr Beazley said despite the ALP's renouncement of its three uranium mines policy, he would not support nuclear power in Australia.

"No nuclear power," Mr Beazley said. "For a country that has the resources we have it's absurd to be proposing nuclear power ... and there are strategic dangers. We're about renewables, not reactors."

And Mr Beazley said a Labor government would work to set up a new post-ATSIC representative body for Aboriginal people. He could not provide details of the representative institution but said it would need to be worked out with Aborigines if Labor came to power.

"I don't think you can do it necessarily in a national forum perhaps regional forums," he said.

While at Garma the Opposition Leader had lunch with Galarrwuy and Mandawuy Yunupingu, Charles Darwin University vice-chancellor Helen Garnett and ALP federal parliamentarians Warren Snowdon, Trish Crossin and Peter Garrett.

After Galurrwuy Yunupingu showed him around a set of traditional burial poles he had made, Mr Beazley attended the announcement of a $600,000 funding commitment to Charles Darwin University from Alcan for a program to minimise environmental effects of mining.

The money will go to the CDU's Tropical Futures: Minerals program.

Alcan Gove site manager David Buick made the announcement with CDU vice-chancellor Helen Garnett.

"Alcan is committed to doing things the right way," he said.

"We are focused on delivering environmental benefits to the community."

Mr Buick said the program was an opportunity for Alcan and CDU to express their commitment to sustainable mining practices.

Organisers tip 2000 attendees before the Festival finishes on Tuesday.