Public meeting on the QLD gemfields today.

[Lefty]

Update:

Basically nothing really happening yet. The QSMA have submitted their/our offer and are ready to negotiate with the two parties of claimants.

The Western Kangalou have so far failed to respond to the offer to negotiate - for reasons currently unknown, apparently.

The Bidjara seem to have had a blue with the body that was representing them and have parted ways with them. But it isn't that simple since the body is appointed by the Commonwealth. So it looks like their actions may have created a seperate legal mess which will have to be sorted before negotiations with them can even commence.

Once negotiations actually do commence - at some unknown point in the future - it will probably be around a year before they can be concluded at which time my application can be returned to the mining registrar for final consideration. So I will almost certainly miss next year's digging season as well. The earliest it seems likely that I will be able to start using my equipment will probably be around April 2016 - a full two-and-a-half years will have elapsed by then. Until then, I drift in limbo....

 

[Kingsolomon]

Sucks man....
Rules , courts , rules, court date prolonged , rules , court date prolonged, scratch head , wondering , paperwork , rules , waiting...... Waiting ..... Feel the same man . Trying to prove my innocence being sideswipe by a car .
Feel for you ... Like I said SUCKS !

Hang in there buddy
I'll spare the image of the cat on that poster my f@&$))( mate sent me ...

 

[Lefty]

Here's another one for ya Barney.

I just pulled a letter out of my mailbox from the native title tribunal. I opened it assuming it was something to do with the two different indigenous mobs who both reckon the CQ gemfields is their traditional land.

Nope - it seems to be in regards to a THIRD indigenous mob who have attempted to claim native title over the gemfields.

Seems that there might be no limit to the number of different tribes that can claim that they lived in that spot (while all the others are apparently lying) and that they should be compensated accordingly.

Y'know, there has to come a point where even those generally supportive of the idea of native title must have to wonder if at least some of these people aren't just making ***** up.

Anyway, it's not all bad - the native title registrar has not accepted their claim. But that doesn't necessarily mean that's the end of it. I guess that if they decide to appeal the decision it will probably add some unknown length of time to the approval process which is already set to take a couple of years.

This ***** is so extrordinary that I'm over being angry about it. In fact, I might consider lodging a native title claim myself - hey, any barstard can dream up pretty much anything they like by the looks, maybe I should get on the gravy train. Probably be a lot more lucrative than sapphires.

 

[silver]

Which tribes are involved Lefty ? besides the Kangalou and the Bidjara.

 

[Heatho]

Lefty, marry a local Indiginous lady have a bunch of kids and start your own tribe.

 

[Lefty]

This mob call themselves Wierdi people and have claimed an area that spans the coast from a bit north of Carmilla, through Mackay to a bit south of Proserpine and then west from there all the way out to near Jericho.

From the letter....

The Native Title Registrar has not accepted this application for registration. Although this application has not been registered, the Federal Court may still refer the application for mediation and /or make a determination in relation to it.

I'm not over familiar with the process but I imagine that the law firm representing them will encourage them to appeal the decision or will at least seek to win something, no doubt slowing the process even further.

If I have enough time on my hands, it might be interesting to look into how this title claim process functions (the whole issue, not just claims over the CQ gemfield). They had no written titles so who lived where and exactly where the boundaries of their respective lands were looks to be being formally determined now on the basis of heresay. So it's no wonder that no less than three different mobs have been able to make claims on the same area of land (with the government deciding to formally grant the claim to two of them - still not sure how that one is supposed to work) and I can't see why there won't be others in the future.

 

[Kingsolomon]

More hurdles buddy...
Seems its not just claims there claiming on . They want rights to all sorts of lands around my areas . I understand that , but what I also understand is that they don't want them for preservation but to get the land and sell for development . So thier special place to be preserved is ok to be covered by town houses? Seems ok to them . Guess developers are making heaps of money crowding a crowed area , so what the hell.
People see a crowded market place and say " me too!" . People always crying for more than they deserve and feel ripped off they don't get a hand out , for what ? To claim on something that's special to someone ( only to be developer , or salesman) then cash in worry s me .nice park area in my town is all now under claim. Who knows what will happen to it . Anyway ,I'm getting back to cutting . Something positive
Best of luck
Stick with it , you've gone this far . I reckon you'll pull through
Cheers
Barney
Cabbing looks good mate , get on the facet machine , you'll do we'll

 

[blayke]

It's all a huge mess up there. Without the QSMA I think it would be even worse. I know they have managed recently to be granted a block of freehold land just opposite the bottom shop in sapphire and will be building a clubhouse etc....

 

[Lefty]

Selling the land for development? Must be a real sacred site huh?

Yep, she sure is a mess Blayke. This thing has opened up a monumental can of worms and at least some of it is clearly nothing more than a blatant money grab. Had I not joined the QSMA, the process would have been impossible. How many small claim applicants can muster six grand for legal fees to negotiate an agreement with these clowns? How could you negotiate it yourself? You would have no idea of what was legally-binding or not. Their legal team - paid for with public money - is well versed in the legislation and could say anything.

This thing has already gone too far and in many cases obviously has nothing whatsoever to do with any spiritual connection to the land or anything of the sort - it's about people wanting to extract an unearned economic rent because the law allows them to do so. They're squeezing it so hard they'll end up killing it

 

[Goldtarget]

It's the toll master attitude. Wherever you go and whatever you do there's at least one individual asking for the toll. It's undermining and sad. One day if we ever fall to our knees we will realize just how counter productive this attitude is. Whatever happens going forward I hope the outcome is a positive one. I'm glad someone is bringing the issues up, at least it gives the wider community a chance to acknowledge and scrutinize the process and terms.

 

[blayke]

thats the problem lefty....not to mention the mines dept and their issues..... looks like by the time im ready to retire and move up there, wont be any public fossicking areas available let alone claims

 

[Kingsolomon]

Show on now for you lefty ... SBS3 " dirty buissness / mining Australia " guess they got ripped early , by the big blokes . So the little guys cop the flack now. There after the wrong people if they want a buck . But hey... Cant touch the big blokes . So your in the firing line... Big blokes hidden behind Abbott or any other puppet. Don't you love the shots of him with his **** eating grin posing with gina" jabba the hut/but" rienhart?

 

[Lefty]

That would have been a good one to watch Barney. I was on the road at the time so I missed it. But it sounds about right