South Australian Premier Steven Marshall will argue against a legal bid from the Barngarla Aboriginal Determination Corporation to stop drilling on sacred land in the state’s far-north.
Mr Marshall, who is also the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, will argue that the Barngarla people should not be allowed to proceed with their legal challenge, after he approved mineral exploration at Lake Torrens.
In January this year, the Barngarla people launched a Supreme Court judicial review in an attempt to stop exploration company Kelaray, a subsidiary of Argonaut Resources, from drilling on a sacred site.
The site is listed as an Aboriginal heritage place but is not protected under native title law.