Road key to mining push on APY land
ONE of the nation’s most troubled Aboriginal homelands is set to open up to oil exploration and mining in a bid to break the cycle of poverty and welfare dependence.
Central to the plan for South Australia’s remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara communities is construction of aroad linking the east to the west, creating a pathway to development.
The lands — spanning 103,000sqkm of desert in the far north of the state, bordering the Northern Territory and Western Australia — are believed to contain rich reserves of petroleum and nickel.
Although mining companies have been keen to explore the APY area, access problems and local opposition to development have defeated most efforts to evaluate its potential mineral wealth.
That may be about to change. The APY governing board has commissioned consultants to weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing full-scale mining and oil drilling on the lands.
As part of the investigation, the route of a development road has been mapped out.
A copy, obtained by The Australian, shows the road linking up with the railway to Alice Springs on the eastern side of the lands, with spurs to towns such as Indulkana, Umuwa, Amata and Pipalyatjara near the West Australian border.
The lands contain numerous mineral tenements, but so far their development has been limited. As is the case with most remote indigenous communities, unemployment is rife.
Earlier this year, former Supreme Court judge Ted Mullighan, reporting on a three-year inquiry into child abuse on the lands, found that one in seven children had been sexually abused. This was a national disgrace, he said.
The study being carried out for the APY board by consultants Coffey International will assess the impact of three scenarios:
* Large-scale development of petroleum resources in the APY lands, similar to that in the Moomba field spanning the SA-Queensland border.
* Development limited to about half the size of Moomba.
* No development.
South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy chief executive Jason Kuchel said a new road through the APY lands would provide economic benefits for miners and social benefits for the communities in the area.
“We see it as a win-win for everybody,” Mr Kuchel said. “I think this is the sort of infrastructure South Australia needs to invest in to encourage more investment in exploration.”
Much will depend on whether newly re-elected APY lands chairman Bernard Singer, who has an assault charge pending, can overcome local suspicion about development and persuade the state and federal governments to come on board with funding.
Mr Kuchel said that, although he did not think mining companies would consider contributing to the cost of building the road, they were likely to pay to help maintain it.
Alice Springs-based nickel explorer Mithril’s managing director, Graham Ascough, welcomed the idea of a new road through the lands, saying it would cut costs and reduce the size that any minerals find would need to be to make a mine economical.
Mr Ascough said existing roads into the lands were rough and unsealed, making the trucking of equipment to exploration sites a slow, expensive process.
Road key to mining push on APY land | The Australian
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