Traditional owners told a parliamentary hearing into a controversial mining and manufacturing project that “idiotic” white activists are blocking their economic development opportunities.
Top End Aboriginal Coastal Alliance president Julius Kernan says Indigenous territories face many “obstacles” and siding with interstate environmentalists had caused them to “miss out” on the benefits the projects bring.
“It is time for our people to be recognized or identified as people to interact with in a culturally appropriate way and have space to have their say without interruption from non-Indigenous idiots,” he told a Senate inquiry examining the development of Middle Arm in the Northern Territory on Monday.
It was a response to NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s question about the detrimental effect of interstate environmental activists blocking projects that could bring economic development to Aboriginal people.
Traditional owners told a parliamentary hearing into the Middle Arm development (pictured) in the Northern Territory that “idiotic” white activists are blocking their economic opportunities.
Kernan said the Top End Coastal and Maritime group wants economic development to help improve educational outcomes and create jobs for future generations of Indigenous peoples.
“We want them to fill the positions that our people have been missing,” he said.
Renewable energy company Suncable denied helping greenwash the project, known as the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct by the NT government.
It is already home to the Santos Darwin LNG and INPEX Ichthys LNG processing facilities, and there are plans for gas fracking company Tamboran Resources Limited to take over a parcel of land at the site near Darwin.
Suncable chief executive Cameron Garnsworthy said the company was in talks with four other “green and forward-thinking” future tenants, including potential hydrogen producer Fortescue Future Industries.
NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has highlighted the detrimental effect of interstate environmental activists blocking projects that could bring economic development to Aboriginal people.
“We don’t consider ourselves greenwashing at all,” he said.
“We are looking to supply low-cost electrons to those customers and have signed a number of (letters of intent) to that effect, which supports the foundation of our business going forward.”
Outside the Canberra hearing, committee chairwoman South Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the $1.5 billion project, which is backed by the Commonwealth, would contribute to climate change .
“It is no wonder that the local community, the tourism industry, the fishing industry, schools, nurses, doctors and local traditional owners do not want this project,” he said.
“It’s time for representatives here in Canberra to listen to the local Darwin community.”
The hearing continues.