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Territory Coordinator would steamroll community rights

Proposed Finocchiaro Government legislation that would create the “Territory Coordinator” role would steamroll the rights of ordinary Territorians, say community advocates.

The government’s plans to create the new role have attracted a barrage of criticism since they were first leaked in October last year, with the community arguing it would place unprecedented power into the hands of an unelected bureaucrat and the chief minister.

There are also fresh concerns the proposed role would erode First Nations land rights and the rights of pastoralists

The public consultation process, which was described as "farcical" and "shambolic", and faced criticism for being held in the leadup to and during the Christmas holiday period, when many in the community are on holidays or involved with cultural ceremony, ends today (January 17). 

The most concerning aspects of the legislation include:

  • Giving the unelected Territory Coordinator the power to “step-in” and approve projects like fracking proposals, thereby overriding other authorities like the Environmental Protection Authority and standing in the shoes of elected responsible Ministers. Clause 56

  • Preventing communities from launching “merits review” legal challenges in response to fracking and many other approvals, eliminating public scrutiny of these decisions. Clause 62 (1) (a)

  • Giving gas pipeline companies access to land (including bringing machinery on to properties) without the consent of the landowner/leaseholder. Clauses 30 & 31

  • Overriding the application of existing laws and processes, through subjective “exemption notices”. As currently drafted, the legislation on “exemption notices” has the potential to exempt the requirement for fracking companies to obtain consent from Traditional Owners prior to the sale of appraisal gas. Clause 68

  • Limiting public consultation on water licences or land clearing in favour of more generalised public consultation over “Territory Development Areas”. Clauses 36, 40, & 43

Darwin local and Frack Free NT spokesperson Louis Boyle-Bryant, who grew up in the NT, said, “This legislation gives an unelected bureaucrat the ability to steamroll the rights of Territorians. It is fundamentally un-Territorian.

“It will trample protections that are in place for Territorians and will grant multinational fracking companies the right to commit open slather destruction right across the heart of the NT.

“The draft legislation is vague and we have serious concerns that it could be interpreted in ways that utterly fails the community and exclusively serves the interests of big business, putting our water and the natural environment at risk.

“The Territory needs sustainable solutions to spur economic growth that also protects what we love most about the NT, not a one-person razor gang like what’s proposed with this legislation.”

ENDS

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