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Tiwi allegiance shifts to secure $4mill

The Northern Territory’s Arafura MLA changed allegiance from former chief minister Terry Mills to Adam Giles on the promise of local development for the Tiwi Islands. Source: ABC News

He now says he has secured a $4 million deal to prop up a troubled forestry project.

Francis Xavier said the Government was offering to lease about 10% of the land on the Tiwi Islands to help the local woodchip industry.

When the managed investment company Great Southern collapsed, the Tiwi Land Council took over its untended woodchip plantations but has struggled with the cost.

A Singapore investor provided a port, but money is needed for harvesting and exporting to China.

Xavier said he had secured a $4 million deal to get finance from the Government in exchange for leases over 10% of the Tiwi islands.

“All the money is for the Tiwi forestry because it’s 18 months behind the schedule,” he said.

Xavier is a Tiwi land councillor and is one of the traditional owners offering to lease his land.

“These leases are mainly to support the development such as tourism and also agriculture,” he said.

He switched allegiances from Mills to support Giles becoming Chief Minister to secure economic development.

“I’d spoken several times with Terry, but with Adam, he’s very supportive of this development, and working with Adam is much better.”

Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie said the deal would give other traditional owners expectations of Territory Government support.

“Adam Giles needs to come clean and explain why, in an unprecedented move, the Government is providing millions of dollars to the Tiwi for land when that is normally economic analysis done by the Aboriginals Benefit Account, which sits in the purview of the Commonwealth,” Lawrie said.

The Chief Minister’s spokeswoman would confirm only that the Territory Government is talking to Tiwi Islanders about economic opportunities.

But from Xavier’s point of view, if islanders agree, it’s a done deal.