‘This is my dream’: locals embrace investment in Winchelsea Island

A CHINESE-backed mining venture on a tiny Territory island has been described as a potential game changer for how indigenous people benefit from the resources industry on Aboriginal land

Jareth Murrungun, Kenny Nunggumajbarr and Sandy Maimuru at work building houses at Angurugu

A CHINESE-backed mining venture on a tiny Territory island has been described as a potential game changer for how indigenous people benefit from the resources industry on Aboriginal land.

The Anindilyakwa Land Council revealed details of its proposed Winchelsea Island manganese mine yesterday as it signed landmark local decision-making agreements with the Northern Territory Government.

“It’s early days yet but potentially this is a game changer,” ALC chief executive Mark Hewett said.

The ALC has signed a joint venture with AUS China International Mining to mine manganese over about 20sq km on the island in the Groote archipelago.

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“Normally (with mining) you are a passive royalty recipient,” Mr Hewett said.

“This is the concept of taking the ownership of that and getting the benefit from it.”

The ALC expects exploration to start within a year, with the potential for the first ore to be exported by 2022.

It comes as the ALC signed landmark local decision-making agreements at Angurugu yesterday, giving them greater control of housing, justice and economic development.

The justice agreement will see the construction of an “alternative to prison” facility on the island. A local law council will have the ability to recommend people at risk of offending — and some convicted of low-level crimes — be sent to the new facility instead of prison.

The ALC says that it wants to target men aged 17 to 25 and try to break the cycle of offending.

“Having families working together in a suitable environment will work much better than sending a kid to Berrimah jail or wherever they go now,” Mr Hewett said.

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The housing agreement will see the new Anindilyakwa Housing Aboriginal Corporation take control of community housing, including the construction of new housing.

Jareth Murrungun, Kenny Nunggumajbarr and Sandy Maimuru were hard at work helping to build houses at Angurugu yesterday.

“This is my dream,” Mr Maimuru said, “to build houses, just like my grandfather did.”