chassis impanel: Military exercises will go ahead on Aboriginal land, if landowners can be bribed

Monday, January 14, 2013

Military exercises will go ahead on Aboriginal land, if landowners can be bribed

the project had been frustrated by another
Aboriginal group, the Kokatha, who have objected to the land use under
heritage provisions.

It is understood the commonwealth will offer the Kokatha $2 million to
compensate them for their concerns over the land use, which if
accepted will allow the ILUA to proceed.

Warring remote clans delay expansion of military training area BY:
SARAH MARTIN ?: The Australian January 14, 2013
THE creation of one of Australia?s largest military training areas in
South Australia?s outback has been delayed by up to five years because
of a territorial war between two Aboriginal groups.
The Cultana training area near Port Augusta, 300km north of Adelaide,
was to be tripled in size to 1600sq km by 2009 to allow for live
firing exercises for a full battle group. The area, which resembles
the terrain of Afghan battlefields, was also intended to host training
exercises for the Army?s 7th Royal Australian Regiment Battle Group,
which relocated to the Edinburgh base in Adelaide?s north from Darwin
in 2011.

However, a delay in finalising the Indigenous Land Use Agreement for
the expansion has pushed the completion date to beyond next year.

The Australian understands the delay has forced the newly relocated
7RAR to train interstate rather than at Cultana, where the full
deployment of 600 troops, 100 vehicles and four helicopters was to be
accommodated in the expanded training area??
The negotiations for the Cultana project have been handled by the
Department?s Defence Support Group.

Howard Richards, spokesman for the Barngarla, which holds native title
over the area, said the group wanted the expansion to go ahead and had
signed off on the ILUA for the commonwealth more than two years ago.

But their support for the project had been frustrated by another
Aboriginal group, the Kokatha, who have objected to the land use under
heritage provisions.

Mr Richards said he was concerned that the expansion had been delayed
by the dispute?..
It is understood the commonwealth will offer the Kokatha $2 million to
compensate them for their concerns over the land use, which if
accepted will allow the ILUA to proceed?.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/warring-remote-clans-delay-expansion-of-military-training-area/story-e6frgczx-1226553140718