Review begins of Zinafex Agreement

ABC News reported that a review has begun into the landmark Agreement between Aborigines, the Zinifex mining company and the Queensland Government.

Zinifex's Century Mine operates under a unique tripartite agreement between Zinifex, the Queensland Government and local Native Title groups. The Gulf Communities Agreement (GCA) was negotiated under the Right to Negotiate provisions of the Native Title Act (1993) and was signed in February 1997.

The Native Title groups from the Gulf of Carpentaria involved in the agreement are the Waanyi, Mingginda, Gkuthaarn and Kukatj groups. The Agreement aimed at ensuring compensation, jobs and training opportunities for native title groups. Details of the Agreement can be found here and here.

David Hanlon from the review team says he will be visiting gulf communities to seek feedback on whether the agreement is working to help the region, in the state's far north, achieve economic self-sufficiency.

"I think it's really important for people to have their say on something that impacts on them," he said.

"In really crude terms, employment probably generates in the lower gulf somewhere about $9 or $10 million in revenue.

"When the mine shuts down, that's $9 or $10 million in revenue that goes."