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.
It sounds like they are approving all the permits anyway so whether it’s illegal or not it doesn’t seem to matter.
Yeah but the real issue is corruption within the NT government,
No one can prove it, but there are many cases of shady appearing back room deals etc.
For instance the government giving land away. https://amp.abc.net.au/article/10428274
Thats from the top of my head.
A lot of these things happen up here and they’re noticeable because our population is so small.
