Flip Prior, The West AustralianJune 12, 2012, 4:18 am
The State Government has warned Kimberley Aboriginal groups they risk losing a $1.5 billion compensation package because of their plan to pull out of a native title deal covering the site of the planned James Price Point gas hub.
It has also again raised the spectre of the Government compulsorily acquiring the land north of Broome to ensure the Woodside Petroleum-led $30 billion LNG development goes ahead.
The warning came after the Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr groups approached the Federal Court last week to have their joint native title claim covering the Browse LNG precinct discontinued.
The Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr are expected to instead lodge separate native title claims over the area.
However, court determination of which group has native title rights is expected to take at least a year and could jeopardise State and Federal government plans for construction of the James Price Point hub to start in the middle of next year.
The Federal Court will hear the claimant groups' discontinuance application on Thursday.
The Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr, represented by the Kimberley Land Council, signed a $1.5 billion compensation deal with the State Government and LNG project operator Woodside Petroleum in 2009.
A Department of State Development spokesman said yesterday the Government had advised the KLC it would oppose the application and considered the proposal a breach of the Browse agreements, including the project, regional benefits and land use agreements.Woodside declined to comment.
The State Government has warned Kimberley Aboriginal groups they risk losing a $1.5 billion compensation package because of their plan to pull out of a native title deal covering the site of the planned James Price Point gas hub.
It has also again raised the spectre of the Government compulsorily acquiring the land north of Broome to ensure the Woodside Petroleum-led $30 billion LNG development goes ahead.
The warning came after the Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr groups approached the Federal Court last week to have their joint native title claim covering the Browse LNG precinct discontinued.
The Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr are expected to instead lodge separate native title claims over the area.
However, court determination of which group has native title rights is expected to take at least a year and could jeopardise State and Federal government plans for construction of the James Price Point hub to start in the middle of next year.
The Federal Court will hear the claimant groups' discontinuance application on Thursday.
The Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr, represented by the Kimberley Land Council, signed a $1.5 billion compensation deal with the State Government and LNG project operator Woodside Petroleum in 2009.
A Department of State Development spokesman said yesterday the Government had advised the KLC it would oppose the application and considered the proposal a breach of the Browse agreements, including the project, regional benefits and land use agreements.Woodside declined to comment.
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