Kerins believes much of the problem goes back to how the trust was set up, with traditional owners shut out of negotiations and the NT government and MRM deciding how the trust would operate.
“The mine refused to meet with Aboriginal groups who wanted to organise under their law,” he said. “Instead they parachuted in someone MRM chose and set up a proxy organisation with mine-links that didn’t represent the people.”
Garawa elder and Borroloola Aboriginal leader Jack Green said the trust should be handed over to the four Aboriginal groups in the region to decide how it’s used.