$1m, 20m high cross set to become beacon of the bush in Central Australia

PLANS to build a giant million-dollar cross in Central Australia have been resurrected.

An artist's impression of a cross that Ken Duncan hopes will be constructed on Memory Mountain near Haasts Bluff. PICTURE: Walk a While

PLANS to build a giant million-dollar cross in Central Australia have been resurrected.

The project’s leading proponent, landscape photographer Ken Duncan, met residents of Haasts Bluff and Papunya on Friday.

He hailed the outcome of the meeting a “great success”.

Central Land Council will now be asked to give approval after a failed attempt in December to gain local consensus.

Mr Duncan has been striving to build the cross since elders from the region shared their visions with him separately in 2009.

He’s been working with the communities, aiming to raise almost $1 million to build a cross 20m high, on top of what he calls Memory Mountain.

Online fundraising has so far collected more than a third of the target.

“We are pleased with the local support and are we’re happy to work with our indigenous brothers and sisters on this exciting project,” Mr Duncan said.

He has described the shared vision as a “miracle”.

“A high-end engineer came to us and asked what we were doing and said he wanted to join us at his own expense,” Mr Duncan said.

“Many people have come along and said ‘hey, let’s do this together.”

The CLC facilitated a meeting in December, at which a spokesman said a “range of views” were expressed.

“The Aboriginal people present decided to vote on the issue and the cross was not supported,” the spokesman said.

The CLC was not represented at Friday’s meeting, but according to Sammy Butcher from the Papunya store, local opinion has now changed.

“The people who did say no to the cross, now say yes,” Mr Butcher said.

“It would benefit the community. Tourists could come and visit the store and the art gallery too.

“We want to see tourism; we want to see our young people working.”

Mr Duncan stressed the cross project doesn’t belong to him — a sentiment Mr Butcher echoed.

“It belongs to the people,” Mr Butcher said.

“It will bring inner peace. It will be just you, nature and the cross.”

The project is a private venture, something Mr Butcher said was positive and Mr Duncan said he was very proud of.

“This is not a government initiative,” Mr Duncan said.

“ We’re raising the money privately, it’s going to create jobs and a sustainable future for these people.”

Supporters are now praying the CLC will give the green light to the project.