This unfortunate situation has nothing to do with the good will of the people involved or their good sense. It is the logic of the situation that demands this behaviour. The members of the teams might dearly love to stop to have a beer and do some fishing in the river. In some respects, the Australian mining industry and Aboriginal people are seemingly locked in a public tug of war where there is little agreement or communication. Each side feels compelled to pull against the other in order not to lose ground.
Nobody benefits from such a situation.
The Australian economy in general and Aboriginal people in particular suffer when conflict escalates and parties adopt defensive and intransigent positions. The Mining Committee has had the opportunity to record its own description and analysis of the issues that are of central concern to both parties and to suggest some ways in which communication and co-operation can be improved, thus creating an environment where each side might together relax the tension in their tug of war. We are aware that, where appropriate procedures exist, there are positive examples of Aboriginal communities and mining companies having formalised their relationship and identified strategies for co-existence. These relationships are regarded as mutually beneficial by the communities and companies concerned and indicate that positive relations are achievable to the benefit of the industry, the community and the nation as a whole. The Mining Committee looked to find ways of setting up codes of conduct, resolving disputes and improving awareness of Aboriginal cultural values in the mining industry.