Call to Save NT Parks Estate

At a public meeting of almost 200 people held yesterday at the Memorial Club in Alice Springs, Shadow Minister for Central Australia, Dr Richard Lim claimed that there is no necessity for the Martin Labor Government to give the Territory parks estate to sectorial interests without testing the validity of their claims.

"Clare Martin intends to handover the parks without putting into process any validation or determination that the claims over the parks are legitimate or otherwise. She has simple accepted the validity of the claim."

"The Country Liberal Party has always been against the Martin Labor Government's handover of national parks to the Land Councils without first testing the validity of the claims lodged for them,” Dr Lim said.

"10 of the 11 parks in question, are situated around Central Australia, from Devils Marbles in the north to Chamber's Pillar in the south and they include the Western Macdonnells."

"It is like telling New South Wales to give away Bondi Beach without challenge because some one or some organisation lodged a claim on it."

"These national parks now belong to all Territorians, including indigenous Territorians, and are freely accessible to all Territorians for all sorts of industries including tourism operations and recreational purposes, without any hindrance."

"Imagine every person in Darwin who wants to fish from the beaches of Darwin is forced to pay a fee to the beach owners before being allowed to."

"With the parks estate handed over to indigenous interests, it can be converted into inalienable land, with the resulting potential to lock up these parks for all time, and if access were granted, at what cost?"

"Clare Martin seems to have done a deal of sorts with the Central Land Council, but what are the terms? We don't have the detail except that it will be at $1 million per year for the 99 year from 2010."

"Clare Martin would not reveal them except to say that it will be business as usual, 'with no fees or permits for entry'. With her current record of 'stuff-ups' can we trust her?"

"Clare Martin must withdraw her request to the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs to approve of her plans to handover the parks estate to the Central Land Council.”

"The parks estate must be retained by the Northern Territory Government for all Territorians, and that means indigenous people also."

2006-04-12