The Northern Land Council has slammed the “Outrageously low” penalty issued by the NT government for the illegal clearing of almost 200 hectares of land.
The NLC said on Monday that the findings of the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security into illegal land clearing at Tarwoo Station, a major station at the centre of the Territory’s cotton industry, and surrounds represent “a clear disregard by the Northern Territory government in punishing criminal activity on land involving Aboriginal interests”.
The ABC reports that the investigation was signed off by official Joanne Townsend, the same person who originally approved Tarwoo’s land clearing application after receiving complaints that land had been cleared prior to a permit.
The current owner of Tarwoo is the Western Australia Northern Territory Cotton Company Pty Ltd. Dr Bush-Blanasi noted that earlier this year the Northern Land Council nominated Aboriginal representatives to take up positions on the Pastoral Land Board and the nominations were rejected.
Dr Bush-Blanasi said that the Northern Land Council is not opposed to developing land but stressed that the rights of Native Title Holders rights must be respected in that process.
The NT government handed down a meek fine for unlawful clearing, exposed by community members, across the Yinberrie Hills Site of Conservation Significance-a breeding habitat for the largest known breeding population of endangered Gouldian finches.
“This unlawful clearing was only detected due to the efforts of concerned individuals of the Environmental Centre of the Northern Territory and Territory Rivers Alliance, using The Wilderness Society’s citizen science satellite data tool, Watch on Nature,” said Jenita Enevoldsen, Wilderness Society Senior Campaigner.
"Nearly two years after this unlawful clearing was found, and after community members dedicated hundreds of hours seeking access to justice, the final result was a fine-akin to a slap on the wrist."We need government monitoring and enforcement systems that can red-flag and halt unlawful clearing and deforestation overnight.
ABC’s 7.30 Report revealed three separate instances of alleged unlawful land clearing in the NT by the cotton industry: at Tarwoo, at Claravale Farm on the banks of the Daly River, and at Ucharonidge Station on the Barkly Tableland.
In all cases, land clearing permits were granted after complaints were made by the Environment Centre NT and community members.
