Really good question. Our relationship with some/most is...

Really good question. Our relationship with some/most is brilliant, but the COA criticed the Commissioner of Lands for excluding others from the agreement. Some think this easily fixed by doing a deal with them and we'll be back on track in a few weeks. This appears to be the company line.

Others, including me, wonder whether there are deeper issues of tribal/clan politics, the conversion of customary land (native title) and process for the SI govt to sort. The SMM / dissident landholder media release was bolshie, as though spoiling for a fight over those people and clans being ignored. If this is the case, AVQ may have to be patient for much more than a few weeks for it to be sorted.

One thing is fairly clear after reading the COA ruling. It's not simply about AVQ vs SMM. I thought it was and was wrong. The complexities of the issues that the ruling deals with caused the delay, which we didn't expect, and gave an outcome we didn't expect.