More on 'First there is a river'

The Macarthur River mine deal looked set in concrete.
And then the wheels came off and it looked for while there as if the Government had stuffed up big time.
In the Government's hurry to bend over for Xstrata's plans to divert the river and expand to an open-cut operation, the Mines Minister - a former sports administrator and living embodiment of the Peter Principle - overstepped the mark.
He apparently didn't follow due process and approved the mine plan under a deficient part of the Mining Act.
Work on the mine stopped when the Supreme Court found they'd stuffed up.
Not to be deterred, our Chief Minister - the redoubtable Clare Martin - stepped in to rescue boofhead and simply said she would change the legislation overnight to regularise the process retrospectively.
So mining will continue.
Swift and decisive action to save the Territory economy?
Maybe.
But it's more like being bluffed into submission by the company threatening to pack up their shovels and tents and piss off somewhere else.
And the benefit to our economy is dubious.
The company gets $100 million year in various subsidies.
That's taxpayers' dollars.
It pays no royalties.
Most of its fly-in-fly-out workforce lives anywhere in Australia but the Territory.
And the traditional owners of the country who still vehemently oppose the deal and who were behind the Supreme Court challenge?
'I'm sure they'll understand,' says our Clare.
Sure.
One of the TOs who led the opposition to the mine died recently.
He was 42.
Go figure.
And what about the views of the Aboriginal members of the Assembly?
Will they collude with this desperation play?
I don't think they'll be taking this one lying down.
Not this time.
And not ever again.
Government for all Territorians?
I hope so.
At last.
watch this space.