Latest news with #CentralAustralia
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Fortune Agribusiness faces High Court appeal over Singleton Station water licence
The native title holders of a vast Central Australian cattle station say they will continue to challenge the Northern Territory's largest-ever water licence and won't back down until "a good decision" is made. The Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation last week escalated its legal battle over a water licence at Singleton Station to the High Court, after the NT Court of Appeal rejected an earlier challenge in May. Mpwerempwer will argue the court made a series of errors in rejecting its case, including that native title holders did not receive the same procedural fairness as the licence holder, Fortune Agribusiness. Les Turner, chief executive of the Central Land Council, which is acting on behalf of Mpwerempwer, says native title holders believe the water licence is too large. "[It] threatens their water security and puts the risk to many groundwater dependent sacred sites," he said. 'Mpwerempwer considered there was serious and complex questions of law that need to be settled by the High Court." The High Court appeal is the latest development in a four-year legal stoush that has stalled Fortune Agribusiness's bid to transform a massive arid cattle station north of Alice Springs into one of Australia's biggest fruit and vegetable farms. Fortune was granted a licence to extract 40,000 megalitres of water a year, for free, by the NT government's Water Controller in 2021. That decision has drawn continued opposition from environment groups and some traditional owners, while others argue the project is a lifeline for a struggling region. Dawn Swan, a director of Mpwerempwer, said she lived "smack bang in the middle of Singleton Station" and had a strong attachment to the area. "We have to look after it," she said. "We're just going to keep battling on." Elder Ned Kelly said he was worried about the station and believed there was no other option but to "keep on fighting". In a statement, NT Water Minister Joshua Burgoyne dismissed the ABC's questions about whether continued backlash from native title holders signalled the need for stronger water protections, instead pointing to Singleton's continued court wins. Fortune Agribusiness has said its planned horticultural project could create 110 permanent and 1,350 seasonal jobs — although this number has been disputed — and could provide big opportunities for local shops and contractors. Lachy Manns, a Tennant Creek resident of 10 years and owner of a cattle transport company and hardware store, said the region was "doing it tough". "Tennant Creek needs all these big projects like SunCable and Singleton to boom," he said. "If all of it goes ahead, it's great for the town, it's a no-brainer." John Dickson, the owner of Outback Outfitters in Tennant Creek, said he was also "all for it", but hoped the produce grown at Singleton would stock local shelves instead of being sent overseas. "We have a mine that just opened up that's given the town a boost, and anything extra is good," he said. In a statement, Fortune Agribusiness chair Peter Wood acknowledged the importance of due process, and said the company remained "committed to full compliance" as it worked through further approvals. He said the government's "rigorous water planning" would ensure Singleton was developed sustainably and that the project would be a catalyst for further investment, new infrastructure and ongoing local employment in the region. Last year, the NT Supreme Court rejected an initial case brought by the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) and Mpwerempwer alleging the NT government had not followed its own Water Act when it approved the Singleton licence. Native title holders appealed the decision, but that was also rejected. Despite the court losses and frustrations, Mr Turner said native title holders would not back down until a decision "which protects Aboriginal people's rights in that area" was made. Alex Vaughan, policy officer at ALEC, said the Singleton water licence posed a "catastrophic" risk to the region. "Singleton is simply too big to be sustainable," he said. He said it was "outrageous" one of Australia's largest groundwater licences for agriculture had been granted in a region where temperatures regularly reach over 40 degrees. "This is a terrible project that resoundingly fails the pub test," he said.
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Finke Desert Race competitors walk away from crash after becoming airborne at 160kph
A Finke Desert Race driver and his navigator have walked away uninjured after a death-defying crash on day two of the gruelling Central Australian event. Driver Mick Magher said he and navigator Bernie Webb became airborne about 10 kilometres north of the Finke/Aputula community early on Monday morning. He said the trophy truck was travelling at about 160kph and the pair thought they were cruising for a drama-free drive home to Alice Springs after communications issues on day one of the race. "We just started to settle in and took off over the crest and just floated over [the track] ," Magher said. "The front has caught a dip on the way down and then it was just on for the ride. "There were bits flying everywhere. Magher said said the G-force in the cockpit was at about 17. "The safety gear certainly did its job," he said. "It's not something I recommend everybody try, that's for sure." Magher said he and Webb were feeling a bit sore with some bruising. "There's a few harness strap [bruises], so over the shoulder and the crotch straps," he said. "Other than that, we're both surprisingly well. Magher said he and Webb knew they had to get off the track as quickly as possible after the vehicle came to a halt. "We both turned around, looked at each other, said, 'You're alright?'" he said. Magher said it spectators helped move the car off the track. "The main cage and all that is surprisingly good — it only hit end-for-end," he said. Travis Robinson took out the prize for the car section of the race, Corey Hammond won the motorbike section and Madi Healey was awarded the Queen of the Desert title. Magher says he is committed to contesting next year's race, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the event.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Travis Robinson, Corey Hammond and Madi Healey claim victory at 2025 Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs
One of the world's most extreme off-road races, the Finke Desert Race, has wrapped up in Alice Springs with a tight contest that included some unexpected wins. Drivers and riders in cars, motorbikes and buggies took on the treacherous 446-kilometre round-trip to the remote community of Apatula and back over the weekend-long event in Central Australia. About 10,000 spectators flocked to the central desert, camping along the picturesque racetrack, to cheer on the competitors in their bid for victory. In the car section of the race, Western Australian driver Travis Robinson flew across the finish line just outside of Alice Springs to snatch the crown from his former reigning champion brother Beau Robinson. The younger sibling clocked a total race time of 3 hours, 24 minutes and 35 seconds, with his brother hot on his heels arriving about five minutes later. "It's just a massive accomplishment, it's something that I've wanted to accomplish my whole life and haven't been able to do," Travis Robinson said minutes after claiming the glory. His brother, a former champion, said people "try their whole life to win" Finke and never get there, hailing his brother's victory. In the motorbike section, 23-year-old Corey Hammond was first to set off on Monday's 223-kilometre home stretch and the first to cross the finish line, as the Finke's newest King of the Desert. He stormed in first for bikes with a time of 3 hours, 46 minutes. "I knew we always had a chance, obviously a bit of bad luck for a few of the top boys who crashed out," he said. "Just always believed in myself." Another major victory was that of Madi Healey, who won the Queen of the Desert title for the second year in a row. "I think the rain made it a lot rougher this year," Ms Healey said. "I was really surprised by the square edges and all of that, but my bike and fitness and all that went really well, so I'm happy with it." The NT Health Department said 43 people were treated at the Alice Springs Hospital in relation to Finke. St John Ambulance director Andrew Thomas said those injured included one man who was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital and onto Adelaide following a severe head injury acquired during the race. "One of the retrieval doctors from the Alice Springs Hospital stationed there, along with our staff, treated him," Mr Thomas said. He said the man was knocked unconscious and may have received a traumatic brain injury.
ABC News
07-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre could be filling at a scale not witnessed in living memory bringing life to those at its edge
Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre could be filling at a scale not witnessed in living memory. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is quickly filling with water. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) So we expected to see the South Australian outback come alive, but not like this. 7.30 cameraman Carl Saville filming in the dust storm. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Carl Saville out in the dust storm. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Carl Saville back in the car, covered in dust. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Turbulent winds whipped up clouds of desert dust — plumes so thick and winds so wild they consumed the blink-blink of our hazard lights and dulled the brights of our high beams. Ochre grit rolled across roads, spewing into the sky before drizzling down over a patch of Central Australia we were hoping, needing, to remain clear. With zero control over the timing of either phenomenon — the storm or the floodwater — we hedged our bets and pressed north, past monumental ranges and arid ashen landscapes, until a town appeared where the bitumen ended. "People think, 'Why would you have a pub way out here?'" laughs Maria van Wegen, owner of the Marree Hotel. The Marree Hotel in Marree, South Australia. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) An old train carriage in Marree. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) A street in Marree. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Marree's Outback Roadhouse and General Store. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Her establishment is almost as old as the settlement of Marree itself — a former railway town — population 60, plus tourists — considered one of the most accessible gateways to Australia's remote outback. "We're perfectly located at the junction of the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks and so close to Kati Thanda, and there's a lot of history here," Maria tells us. "Mostly because of the Afghan cameleers and the railways being essential for transporting cattle to Adelaide. Maria van Wegen says pubs like the Marree Hotel are integral in small rural communities like Marree. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) "Pubs like ours are just so integral in a community like this. "If anything happens — ring the pub. You want to know anything — ring the pub!" Lake Eyre from the air Want to see the sights and need a plane? Ring the pub. The airport was flash, by bush standards, and busy — a neat strip of tarmac; an adjacent dirt car-park full of four-by-fours and tourist buses. It had a tidy demountable with a flushing toilet — complete with the soundtrack of several small aircraft buzzing around and overhead. Planes at Marree airport. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Cars parked at Marree airport. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Travellers queue at Marree airport. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) In a town this size it came as no surprise Maria's husband is also the go-to pilot-cum-tour guide. We found Arid Air's Phil van Wegen at the edge of the tarmac, corralling a wild flock of outback nomads on the same pilgrimage as us. Anticipation emanated from the travellers as they were ushered into their respective fixed-wings, while our troupe packed into a six-seater. Pilot Phil van Wegen says Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is "the most amazing natural irrigation system that you'll ever see". ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Within minutes we were airborne. "The whole region is massive, it all makes you feel insignificant," Phil says, as he pulls the Cessna up to 1500 feet. We cross the Flinders Ranges on the way to the lake. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) At this altitude it was clear to see the desert dust we endured the day prior, like us, it had driven itself deeper into the interior, riding the nose of a cold front. While Phil was worried about the imposition for us out-of-towners, the haze possibly improved the view — softening the morning light as it bounced off the colossal dunes, dried claypans, and the striking Flinders Ranges. Mystery surrounds who created the giant Marree Man. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Over the Strzelecki Desert, and past the mysterious 'Marree Man', the mulga, spinifex and Mitchell grass soon gave way to an expanse of salt. The southern reaches of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre will only fill in a once-in-a-lifetime event. Salt in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Salt in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Salt in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Salt in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) Salt in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) The dramatic colours of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) "At the moment this whole basin, the Diamantina and the Cooper, has a lot of water in it, so if we get another big rain event next year it could be bigger than this year," Phil says enthusiastically, on approach to the lake's northern section. Suddenly it seemed as if there were two suns, the earth mirroring the sky. The sun reflecting off Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) "This is Lake Eyre North," we were informed, "144km in length north to south, 77km east to west," Phil explains. "The interesting thing is it's capturing approximately six per cent of Australia's run-off water, it's a huge catchment." "It's a huge dispersal, it's just the most amazing natural irrigation system that you'll ever see." By Phil's estimation the northern section is around 80 to 85 per cent covered. Water filling Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Water filling Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) Water filling Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Water and sky combine for stunning visual But despite my asking, he's unwilling to estimate the volume of water within. At its edge, the head water moves at a "gentle walking pace", we're told, "and probably only around ankle-deep." In parts the lake will get several metres deep — while also containing the lowest point in mainland Australia –15.2 metres below sea level. Our Cessna climbs to 2000 feet, an attempt at fielding a broader prospective. Here, you can see the earth's curvature, but you can't see where the enormous body of water ends, and the sky begins. The only place to see Kati Thanda in its entirety, is from space. Scientists believe it formed approximately 200 million years ago, a Pangean oasis surrounded by dense forest and wildlife, fed by a monumental dispersal system of braided channels and flood-plains. Much of the water arriving here has travelled hundreds of kilometres through Channel Country after ravaging western Queensland several months ago. Water running towards Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) Water running towards Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) "You feel for those guys, there's been a lot of devastation up north because they've been hit so quickly, but you'd hope on the rebound the country's irrigated and going to do well for a while," Phil says. "We know we're lucky down here, because we get notice of a flood — we get time to get out of the way. They don't get that in western Queensland." Where 'magic' happens To the east of Kati Thanda, at the edge of Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park, is one of the most famous regions in remote Australia, home to some of the biggest pastoral stations in the world. Trees submerged in floodwater running towards Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) On the sodden banks of the Diamantina, we meet the dry-humoured desert ranger, Don Rowlands. The environment around him, usually dusty, red, and arid, is now surging with life — rivers are coursing across cracked floodplains, native fish dart through newly formed channels, and thousands of pelicans soar overhead. Even the air feels more alive. "We haven't learned yet to eat flies," he jokes "but I'm thinking we should learn soon because there's plenty of them." Ranger Don Rowlands says seeing the floodwaters bring the area back to life is "just magic". ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) Don's a descendant of the Watti Watti family and a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi Elder who recalls a fun childhood catching yabbies and yellow bellies, golden perch, "by the tonne". "I've been here all my life, lived here on the river with my family back in the 1940s and 50s, I've been here a long time and used the river for all the resources," he told us, sharing his memories of the "three big floods" — 1950, 1974, and this year. "Mate, in the water, out on the land — everything comes back to life — that's just how this country is, it's just wonderful to see nature spring out of the ground. Don Rowlands at Lake Machettie after another flood a few years back. ( Supplied: David Sproule ) "These flood events, it's the same as what my people did thousands of years ago, the reason they had rainmakers and rain dances was to create seasons such as this, to replenish all their resources. "It's just magic, and I can see my people walking through this country having the time of their life, it just keeps repeating itself and I hope I'm here for many more." While flooding in Channel Country is common, this event is bigger than usual. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) The biggest township in the area is Birdsville, a well-known destination for tourists coming by road or air, often for drawcard events like the Big Red Bash. "Our bar is just 30 metres from the runway," says Ben Fullagar, the Birdsville Hotel's manager, who landed at the pub for a three-month shift 13 years ago. "In Channel Country floods are pretty normal, this one is just a bit bigger than what we're used to seeing. "It's a big positive for pastoralists, and it's a huge positive for outback tourism. Ben Fullagar is the manager at the Birdsville Hotel. ( ABC Western Queensland: Craig Fitzsimmons ) The Birsdsville Hotel in Queensland. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) A street in Birdsville, Queensland. ( ABC News: Tom Hartley ) "It's taken a bit to get back into gear since COVID, and situations like this, with this kind of flooding, is a huge positive for the industry." But at this time of year, he concedes, it is quieter than usual, worried there are misconceptions that Birdsville, and many bush tourism towns, were washed away. "I mean whoever surveyed Birdsville back in 1800s did a fantastic job, because water has never been into the town, it just goes straight past us and marches straight into the lake," he said. "I guess the message is, we're open for business. We didn't get our feet wet, the roads are reopening very quickly, far quicker than anticipated, and there's no better year to see the lake and the region than this year." Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Major Crime Squad investigate the death of an Aboriginal man in custody following a shoplifting incident at Coles Alice Springs
Senator Lidia Thorpe has demanded answers after a 24-year old Aboriginal man, who lived with a disability under state guardianship, died in custody after a shoplifting incident at Coles in Alice Springs. Police allege the man was 'placing items down the front of (his) clothing' before he was confronted by security guards about 1.10pm on Tuesday. He was allegedly involved in an altercation with security when two police officers arrived and restrained him. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst told media one of the security guards was assaulted, and two police officers who were in plain clothes at the time in the supermarket rendered assistance to the security guards. 'The male behaved rather aggressively and was placed onto the ground by those police officers, he was later identified as losing consciousness,' he said. Police said in a statement the man stopped breathing and officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was rushed to the Alice Springs Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2.20pm. Major Crime Squad detectives travelled to Alice Springs to investigate the man's death and police will prepare a report for the Coroner. The assistant commissioner told ABC Alice Springs the man, known to police, was living in Alice Springs but had come from a remote community in Central Australia. He said the man's family had been contacted by police. There have been 593 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the Royal Commission handed down its report in 1991. Senator Thorpe said this was not an isolated tragedy but a brutal pattern where Aboriginal people died at the hands of authorities. 'For decades, our people have called for an end to this violence — for justice, accountability, and care instead of cruelty. But still, our voices are ignored,' she said. The senator said the 24-year old man lived with a disability and was hungry and needed care when the incident took place. 'My heart is with Warlpiri mob, the Yuendumu community, and all those grieving the shocking death in custody of a young Aboriginal man in Mparntwe yesterday, who died while being restrained by police inside a supermarket,' she said.
