The celebrated Arnhem Land aerospace project, rather than being dedicatedly civilian as the nation was led to believe, will have a US military component. This was admitted quietly in NT estimates hearings.

A little bit military? This is like being a little bit pregnant. When military are involved this becomes, by definition, a military project, with the usual tight security provisions; and the only kind of rocket that makes sense in today’s tense global context, is an ICBM; most probable target… China.

This means that the Arnhem Land base will become one of China’s first ten nuclear strikes. Other possibilities are: Darwin airport; the two Etchelon spy satellite bases in rural Darwin; Tindal air base; Pine Gap; and at least one other in coastal WA?

Meanwhile, only 40 Ks from the proposed rocket base is Melville Bay, a deep water harbor long coveted by the Pentagon as a naval base, now urgently need considering the demand of the people of Guam and Okinawa that Americans leave. The host nations have good reason to want the Americans out: 24x7 aircraft noise, their women regularly raped by servicemen, and the usual toxicity associated with military aircraft bases polluting their drinking water.

Tindal air base has already poisoned Top End water, polluting the Katherine River. This was predictable.

So… what will happen if the federal government OKs a Trump demand for Melville Bay? Based on the security exclusion zones applied to other foreign US bases, everywhere within a 20 kilometre radius of Inverell Bay, within wider Melville Bay, will be accessible only to people with US security clearance.

The rocket base will feature an even tighter security exclusion zone, both bases forming a geographical figure eight. As this would entirely encompass the Central Arnhem Highway for a distance of 50 Ks, it is likely that Yirrkala Aboriginal community must also be abandoned. Goodbye Garma Festival.

Exclusion also means that Ski Beach and Wallaby Beach Aboriginal settlements will have their populations removed, no doubt redeveloped to become beachfront accommodation for US Naval personnel. This is ironical because the person who approved the rocket base, Galarrwuy Yunupingu, will be evicted from his mansion.

Can the town of Nhulunbuy be permitted to survive? Probably not. Rio Tinto’s bauxite mine will be closed soon and the only other functions of the town are as a servicing hub for local Aboriginal communities; and as a staging post for tourism. These will no longer exist.

How will this affect the region’s population? The US will apply its own manipulation of US Law: Eminent Domain, which is to pay market value for real estate acquired for public service. The Catch 22 is that once word is out about the exclusion zones, the commercial value of real estate will collapse and all real estate will be unsellable. Australian government valuations will follow the inevitable pattern of descent.

And the Indigenous population? Without access to Songline sites, morale will collapse and Aboriginal culture will go into terminal decline.

*

America’s 51st state of North Australia

The celebrated Arnhem Land aerospace project, rather than being dedicatedly civilian as the nation was led to believe, will have a US military component. This was admitted quietly in NT estimates hearings.

A little bit military? This is like being a little bit pregnant. When military are involved this becomes, by definition, a military project, with the usual tight security provisions; and the only kind of rocket that makes sense in today’s tense global context is an ICBM; most probable target… China.

This means that the Arnhem Land base will become one of China’s first ten nuclear strikes. Other possibilities are: Darwin airport; the two Etchelon spy satellite bases in rural Darwin; Tindal air base; Pine Gap; and at least one other in coastal Western Australia.

Meanwhile, only 40 kilometres from the proposed rocket base is Melville Bay, a deep water harbor long coveted by the Pentagon as a naval base, now urgently required considering the demand of the people of Guam and Okinawa that Americans depart. The host nations have good reason to want the Americans out: day and night aircraft noise, their women regularly raped by servicemen, and the usual toxicity associated with military aircraft bases polluting their drinking water.

Tindal air base has already poisoned Top End water, polluting the Katherine River. This was predictable.

So… what will happen if the Federal Government approves a Trump demand for Melville Bay? Based on the security exclusion zones applied to other foreign US bases, everywhere within a 20 kilometre radius of Inverell Bay, within wider Melville Bay, will be accessible only to people with US security clearance.

The rocket base will feature an even tighter security exclusion zone, both bases forming a geographical figure eight. As this would entirely encompass the Central Arnhem Highway for a distance of 50 kilometres, it is likely that Yirrkala Aboriginal community must also be abandoned. Goodbye Garma Festival.

Exclusion also means that Ski Beach and Wallaby Beach Aboriginal settlements will have their populations removed, no doubt redeveloped to become beachfront accommodation for US Naval personnel. This is ironical because the person who approved the rocket base, Galarrwuy Yunupingu, will be evicted from his mansion.

Can the town of Nhulunbuy be permitted to survive? Probably not. Rio Tinto’s bauxite mine will be closed soon and the only other functions of the town are as a servicing hub for local Aboriginal communities; and as a staging post for tourism. These will no longer exist.

How will this affect the region’s population? The US will apply its own lucrative distortion of US Law: Eminent Domain, which is to pay market value for real estate acquired for public service. The Catch 22 is that once word is out about the exclusion zones, the value of real estate will collapse and all properties will be unsellable. Australian government valuations will follow the inevitable pattern of descent.

And the Indigenous population? Without access to Songline sites, morale will collapse and Aboriginal culture will go into terminal decline.

© Copyright Tony Ryan 2018; Muthamul Homeland Research Unit