ABC News Fri, 19 May 2000 14:44 AEST LOCAL NEWS : Cairns Cape York plan now a reality The Queensland Premier has launched the long-awaited Cape York Partnership Plan, building on the controversial proposal put forward by Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson, last year. The government and Mr Pearson have been criticised for designing the plan so that a company directed by Mr Pearson would benefit. But the Premier has angrily rejected the claims, saying the plan is too important to be tarnished by muckrakers. He says Mr Pearson's proposal was only a skeleton that has been built on by the government. "It is different only in the sense that it adds a lot to it," Mr Beattie said. "Now there are some areas that have not been adressed here and it's important that we deal with them. "Things that have not been dealt with in here, Noel's document dealt with, and this is a key difference. "Noel's document dealt with issues that are the domain of the Federal Government, not us. "There are issues that can only be pursued by the Federal Government." The Premier rejected suggestions that Aboriginal groups have not been consulted. Some Aboriginal groups boycotted the launch saying it is another example of solutions being drawn up for communities, without consulting people at the grass roots level. But Mr Beattie says every community on the Cape will have input into the final product. "This is the beginning on a consultation on a model that will make a difference," he said. "Now a lot of people that have raised concerns about this, concerns that you raised, the concern is that there is some big regional plan where they'll have no power. "They don't want any one particular group to run the plan. I understand that. That's why the negotiatng tables will be with each community." � 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
