Mick Dodson appointed to negotiate land issues over the Ord Stage Two Development

7/3/00
Former Aboriginal Social Justice Commissioner Mick Dodson has been appointed to co-ordinate negotiations with the Aboriginal community on behalf of the State Government for the release of land for the Ord River Stage Two development.
Resources Development Minister Colin Barnett said today the discussions would ensure the people of the area gained maximum benefit from the establishment of Ord Stage Two while securing land tenure for the development.
"The development of Stage Two of the Ord Irrigation Scheme is expected to bring major economic and social benefits to the East Kimberley community," Mr Barnett said.
"It will mean up to 550 additional new permanent jobs, improved social infrastructure such as health services and increased tourism."
Mr Barnett said the Wesfarmers/Marubeni joint venture proposed to develop a 400,000 tonne per annum raw sugar industry from 27,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation.
The project would also yield 160,000 tonne per annum of molasses. The capital investment by the joint venture was expected to be in the order of $400 million.
An extra 3,000 hectares would be sold to smaller independent farmers to encourage diversity of crops and land ownership.
It was estimated 275 jobs would be created in associated industries servicing the project.
"These jobs would be in a variety of industries including health and safety services, education, transport, recreation and environmental services,"
Mr Barnett said.

"One key objective of the negotiations to be undertaken by Mr Dodson will be to ensure any benefits the Government provides to the community are complementary with any agreements the developers make with the traditional owners and local community.
"The negotiations will result in a range of benefits to local people which the Government can offer if the expanded irrigation project proceeds"
The Minister said the project involved an upgrade to port and storage facilities at Wyndham, construction of more than 100 km of M2 irrigation channel system, associated infrastructure and an extensive network of new roads in the area.
He said the Wesfarmers/Marubeni joint venture estimated the project would generate about $170 million a year when the project was fully developed.
Mr Barnett said Mr Dodson - a director of Dodson, Bauman and Associates - was appointed after a nationally advertised tender process.
Mr Dodson was a member of the National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title and was part of the Indigenous negotiating team in 1993 when the Federal Government introduced the Native Title Act.
He presently serves as the honorary chairman of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and until recently was the Director of the Indigenous Law Centre at the faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales.
Mr Barnett said it was expected negotiations leading to the resolution of land issues would have made significant progress by the end of 2000

Media contact: Diana Callander (08) 9222 9699