Tuesday 28 February 2006
ABC NT Country Hour

Report by Adrienne Francis

Do you remember the media headlines last year over uranium? 'Canberra seizes control of NT uranium decision'.

The Country Hour's final guest Neville Henwood of Cridland's Legal Practice says the NT never held the strings of control anyway.

"The The NT Governments 'no uranium mines' policy is not workable. The Commonwealth Government owns the uranium in the NT and the power over uranium was retained when self Government was conferred in 1978. Currently, the NT has to now act in accordance with the advice and recommendations of the Commonwealth. The NT issues minerals leases, but is directed by the Commonwealth Minister on how to do that."

Commonwealth Government representatives will thisafternoon outline the uranium industry framework, a federal process to explore commonwealth and state regimes, and make them more efficient. Mr Henwood says it's proving hard to get the states to be more consistent.

"While it's caught up in politics it's very hard to get agreement on these sorts of things. It remains to be seen seen whether Governments will seek to implement the framework in the future."