Aboriginal group ready for uranium mining partners

by Marie Bout

July 30, 2007

The Western Desert Land Aboriginal Corporation (WDLAC) opened its West Perth office today in a bid to secure uranium mining contracts to deliver basic services and financial independence to the remote Indigenous communities it represents.

“Basically we’re living in Third World conditions,” said the corporation’s CEO Clinton Wolf.

“In the last 18 months we’ve had 40 funerals.

“We are not going to let the Martu people keep suffering when we have fantastic assets that can be exploited.”

Four Martu communities live in 126,000 sq km of uranium-rich land in north Western Australia. They survive on an average yearly wage of $9000, pay $2 a litre for petrol, eat mostly tinned food and suffer high rates of diabetes.

“Welfare is killing Aboriginal people,” said Mr Wolf.

In a bold move, WDLAC has decided to challenge welfare dependency and seek the financial independence that partnerships with resource projects might reap – including uranium mining.

Seventy companies, including mining giant Rio Tinto, have already expressed interest in the uranium on Martu land.

WDLAC commercial adviser Joe Proctor, formerly of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and Carnegie, Wylie and Co., describes himself as a “black capitalist”. He said the WDLAC would promise mining companies accelerated approvals and professional conduct in return for equity ownership of uranium deposits, to ensure a future for these communities.

However, under WA law, mining of uranium is prohibited. The Federal Government last week confirmed that it was seeking legal advice with a view to overriding state law on uranium mining.

Mr Wolf said his corporation opposed the Federal Government overriding the state, preferring “the state to makes its own mind up”. He said the override would create unwelcome antagonism for WDLAC.

The WDLAC has sought government funding to assist its objectives but believes that both State and Federal governments are too focused on Indigenous communities with alcohol and drug problems, and not rewarding alcohol-free communities like those of the Martu.

Mr Proctor said that on the business front Aboriginal communities could exploit their own structures of cohesiveness as a natural asset in business.

Mr Wolf spoke at the uranium industry conference in Fremantle last week where he urged an indigenous presence within the Australian Uranium Association.