2017-02-13
“The news that Attorney General Brandis will hurriedly push through changes to the Native Title Act smacks of knee jerk reaction to a significant situation because they want to protect the Adani coal mine project”, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“This could have profound implications for native title and native title holders that will need careful consideration and consultation. People need the opportunity to look at the native title legislation very carefully.
“We are really concerned that the changes are driven by lobbying from the resources industry and former Coalition MPs who want to protect the Adani project. The Government must focus on what is best for native title holders.
“The Australian people are sick of cynical politics and any efforts by this government to manufacture an opportunity to facilitate coal mining and change native title potentially for the worse.
“We will be closely scrutinising the legislation when it is introduced to the Parliament and will be consulting with native title stakeholders”.