new ann , page-9

Callback

No, the granting of the tenements has got nothing to do with government...it's to do with the Departmental process and the legislation. DOR makes the decision- but it's the Territory old chap. Who knows...but I'd hardly give two bob for some of the Ministers, sometimes I doubt if some of them know what day it is let alone who's applying for EL's. Eg. at the meeting in December bewteen Gov/GOT/ALC the feedback I received was that the Minister seemed pre-occupied and keen to get of there quickly, with his absolute priority concern about media involvement, not the issues. But you'd like to think that given all the hullaballoo re ALC/GOT they'd have their head around this Blue Mud Bay stuff...but they can't operate outside the legislation.

The DOR mob, who I've had some imterplay with seem as straight as can be. At the meeting with the TO's on Groote in December they were addressed by a senior TO and with hundreds of TO's present gave a solemn undertaking to seriously appraise the TO's concerns and the subsequent documentation provided to them by the ALC before making a decision [re mapping]. Another interesting point they made at the meeting with the TO's, echoed in a post by Fluffynymph (although she atated the odds 100:1) is that for every EL granted, although they were talking Australia wide, about one or two in a thousand actually result in mining.

Even though you're very cheeky to me sometimes Callback I'll say this, and I'd imagine you'd agree, I'm very grateful to live under a system where it's highly unlikely (although there have historically been noteable exceptions) that due process will be subverted.

I reckon the Govt needs to clean up the whole granting of EL's scenerio, especially in places that are obviously culturally and environmentally sensitive, so that all stake holders are given a fair shake from the get go. I'll argue until the cows come home that GOT, all share holders and the TO's and other stakeholders were all shafted in the way in which the granting of the [original] seabed EL's was handled. The bottom line is that it unleashed a chain of events that, particularly- I mean look at some of the posts today- saw small share holders severely burnt.

Although I must admit that those very shareholders received scant sympathy from the TO's I spent the afternoon with while I was posting...but I'm not a TO and my sentiments, although mixed, are on balance, slightly different.