Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project

Giants Reef Exploration Pty Ltd Edna Beryl Agreement
Date:	28 November 1998
Sub Category:	Mining Agreement (Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act)
Place:
State/Country:	Northern Territory, Australia
	38 kilometres north of Tennant Creek within ERL 147 and ML application C705.

Subject Matter:	Economic Development \| Employment and Training \| Environmental Heritage \| Cultural Heritage \| Mining and Minerals
Summary Information:
The Giant Reefs Exploration Pty Ltd Edna Beryl Agreement is an agreement between Giants Reef Exploration Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Giants Reef Mining N.L.), the Warumungu People (the Traditional Owners in the Tennant Creek region), and the Central Land Council. It was entered into under section 46 of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth). The Agreement was signed in Tennant Creek on 28 November 1998 and consented to by the Federal Minister for Aboriginal affairs on 7 January 1999, thereby enabling the grant of Mineral Lease C705 which contains the Edna Beryl gold deposit. The agreement is historic as it is the first agreement under the Land Rights Act between the Warumungu People and a mining company. Mineral Lease C705 was granted on 6 August 1999. An all-weather access road of 3 kilometres is required from the Stuart Highway to the mine site and discussions with the Northern Territory Government are well advanced towards funding and construction.
Detailed Information:
The new Agreement will allow the Company to develop the mine at Edna Beryl and to process the ore at Warrego Processing works which closed down in 1999. As at March 2002, the Company has started rehabilitation work on earlier mine shafts at Edna Beryl, which last operated in the 1950s. The Agreement has strong provisions covering protection of sacred sites and employment and training of local Aboriginal people.