The state’s stakes at the Century Mine, 1992–2012

The state’s stakes at the Century Mine, 1992–2012 Book Section

The Absent Presence of the State in Large-Scale Resource Extraction Projects

  • Author(s): Everingham, Jo-Anne, Trigger, David, Keenan, Julia
  • Published: 2021
  • Publisher: ANU Press
  • ISBN: (print): 9781760464486 (online): 9781760464493

Abstract: This chapter examines the changing presence of the state experienced in the lower gulf region of Queensland during the 20 years from 1992 when the High Court made its historic Mabo decision2 and negotiation of the Gulf Communities Agreement (GCA)3 commenced in earnest. Martin notes that the GCA’s ‘formal signing followed protracted regional negotiations, initially outside the ambit of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (“the Act”) and involving the broader Gulf Aboriginal community’ (1998: 4). The 20 years under discussion covers the period of these negotiations, mine construction and commissioning and the production phase until the final (i.e. 15-year) review of that agreement as zinc production began to wane. The GCA is central to this case as the legislated mechanism for dealings between the signatories—namely the Queensland Government, the mining company and the designated ‘Native Title Groups’.4 This period, encompassing the major landmarks in the planning, commissioning and operating of this large mine, provides clear illustration of the leverage of diverse regional actors, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups of residents and various sections of government, to procure the state’s active presence and state action in the region. It also reveals that initial active engagement by the state faded to less direct involvement after production was underway and royalties were flowing. Our research investigates how the state presence was experienced and understood among Aboriginal people with respect to Century Mine and how that changed over time. We present the argument in three main sections, beginning by sketching the background to the Century case and the economic and Indigenous context. The main body of the chapter follows and details a sequence of phases of the state’s role in two pertinent policy areas: regional economic development and Indigenous affairs. It makes considerable reference to the GCA as a significant formal expression of the state’s ‘presence’ in the mining project since this agreement departed from the usual Indigenous benefit agreement configuration by including the Queensland Government as an active party rather than being confined to community and company undertakings (Scambary 2009). The evidence to underpin this argument is drawn largely from secondary sources and from a series of studies conducted by the authors in the region during the period under review (1992–2012). These studies employed diverse qualitative methods and allowed us to examine aspects of the state–community–company relationships that rely on the memories and perceptions of those directly involved in historic events.5 The final section of the chapter discusses the sequence of phases in relation to governance theories and concludes by noting the disparate views revealed about how present the state should be in a development like Century Mine and the critical, yet fragile, role that formal agreements can play in engaging the state and compelling its presence in mining-induced development—especially in peripheral localities.

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Suggested Citation
Everingham, Jo-Anne, Trigger, David, Keenan, Julia, 2021, The state’s stakes at the Century Mine, 1992–2012, Book Section, viewed 07 February 2025, https://www.nintione.com.au/?p=29561.

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