NT chief minister pledges Aboriginal-led land deal to secure Nhulunbuy's future

At the Garma Festival, Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro used her first address there to announce a landmark land-tenure agreement for Nhulunbuy, a remote town slated to lose its main employer when Rio Tinto shuts its bauxite operation in 2029. The in-principle deal will see the lease currently held by Rio Tinto transferred to the local Rirratijingu clan, establishing a traditional-owner-led framework that supports open town planning, tradable titles and future investment.

Finocchiaro highlighted the timing with the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and stressed the arrangement’s symbolic and structural importance for the region. Rirratijingu Aboriginal Corporation chair Wanyubi Marika said the board was encouraged by the progress and will continue collaborating with the Northern Land Council and other partners. In a related move, the NT government joined Rirratijingu and Gumatj clans in calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to incorporate the Gove Peninsula into the national fuel-security reserve, proposing the reuse of Rio Tinto’s existing tanks. Gumatj chief executive Klaus Helms argued that upgrading existing infrastructure would be more effective than building new facilities.