Central Land Council

NT Government Bungles Cyanide Prosecution

18 September 2003

Central Land Council Director, David Ross, today accused the Northern Territory Government of bungling the investigation into the cyanide spill on the Tanami Highway .

"We are extremely disappointed that a major incident like this one has not resulted in a prosecution. The evidence was clear cut, and I simply cannot understand how this bungling has occurred. The process has been confused and shoddy, with no clarity about which agency had primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution."

"I am extremely unhappy about the lack of communication from the Northern Territory Government back to traditional landowners. Afterall, it was traditional landowners who first reported the pool of contaminated water surrounded by dead birds and animals. The contamination site is bounded by Aboriginal land, and traditional landowners have been very concerned about the impacts of the spill. Repeated correspondence from the CLC on behalf on traditional landowners has failed to result in any response from the Northern Territory Government."

"Clearly, the Northern Territory Government does not have adequate systems in place to deal with major incidents like this. The Minister needs to act quickly to ensure that incidents such as this one are dealt with in a coordinated fashion - quickly, efficiently and competently. This is a major concern for traditional landowners living in the Tanami region."

"The only positive aspect of this whole debacle was the immediate response from Newmont to clean up the discharge. Following this the CLC carried out an independent scientific study to confirm that the area had been sterilised and this appears to have been achieved."

"It now seems that no one will have to answer for the danger to traditional landowners and the travelling public on the Tanami Highway nor the hundreds of birds and animals that were killed as a result of the criminal release of cyanide."