THE Queensland Government will offer advice on negotiating native title-style compensation with local tribes in Papua New Guinea across whose land the proposed $A6.8 billion gas pipeline would be built. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie yesterday said in Port Moresby that while the dangers associated with running the pipeline through lawless areas of the Highlands was exaggerated, getting the local tribes on-side was vital to the success of the massive project to pipe gas to Australia. He said Queensland would offer to send advisers to help the PNG Government negotiate deals with local landowners to ensure they did not intentionally disrupt supply once the pipeline was operational. So-called “sovereign risk’’ is recognised as a major impediment to resource development in PNG because of the violent and unpredictable actions of local tribes. Leading a trade mission to Port Moresby yesterday, Mr Beattie said his Government was well placed to offer advice on such issues because of its experience in resolving hundreds of native title disputes in Queensland over the past decade. He said that providing such advice and asking companies in Queensland to consider buying gas from the pipeline would be the key ways his Government could help facilitate the project, which he said he would “bend over backwards’’ to help. “We’ve had a lot of experience in this (native title) area in recent times and we’re prepared to offer that advice but of course we’d need to be invited,’’ Mr Beattie said. Earlier, Mr Beattie told a business breakfast that the proposed pipeline was something his government was committed to, but warned he would withdraw his support if the final contracts did not stack up commercially. He said he did not want to doom the next generation of Queensland householders to higher electricity prices by signing long-term agreements for the supply of gas that was too expensive. After a briefing with the project’s proponents Exxon and Oil Search late yesterday, Mr Beattie said it was clear the next few months would determine the future of the pipeline and hinted that only a couple of major contracts were outstanding. Mr Beattie also revealed a bold new tourism plan being pursued by his government that would see cruises ships packed with wealthy European and American holiday makers sailing between Queensland, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. Mr Beattie last night said he had discussed the development of a South Pacific cruise ship loop with PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday, and with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark earlier this year. Mr Beattie said he believed such a loop would be “the perfect cruise shipping route’’, sailing along the best coastlines offered by the three countries. He said it would attract thousands of tourists and create an economic boon for local economies.
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