Wale condemns colonial hangover mining law and calls for new bill to prioritise landowners
BY CHRIS ALEX
Opposition Leader Matthew Wale has spoken out against government’s ‘below six feet’ mining policy.
Mr Wale described this law as an outdated and unjust monarch law that continues to disadvantage indigenous landowners, particularly those in the Gold Ridge region.
Speaking at a meeting of the Bills and Legislation Committee on Monday, September 1, 2025, Wale condemned the government’s “below 6 ft” policy, which asserts that all minerals and resources found beneath 6ft of the earth belong to the state.
Wale argued that this policy has long deprived indigenous landowners of rightful benefits from the natural resources found on their land.
“Gold Ridge landowners, among others, have been shortchanged by this outdated system. For too long, they’ve only seen a portion of the benefits through royalties, but this is simply not fair.
“These resources belong to them, not the state or the monarchs who once ruled over us,” Wale said.
The Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification (MMERE) presented their proposals for the new Mineral Resources Bill 2025 yesterday, outlining how the legislation will be implemented within the country’s evolving federal framework.
The bill seeks to address many of the issues around resource ownership, distribution, and landowner rights.
However, Wale stressed that the new legislation must prioritise the interests of landowners, particularly in light of the history of land dispossession under colonial rule.
“It is time for this country to recognise that the resources beneath our land belong to the people, not to the state,” Wale said, challenging the historic notion that monarchs had the rights to control such wealth.
“The state’s role should be to fairly distribute benefits for all citizens, but landowners must be at the forefront of this equation,” he added.
Wale emphasised the need for the new bill to ensure that landowners receive a more equitable share of the proceeds generated from the resources extracted from their land.
He highlighted that under the current system many indigenous landowners have seen little benefit while the state has continued to profit significantly from their land’s wealth.
The Opposition Leader’s remarks come as the government faces increasing pressure to reform policies that critics argue continue to perpetuate historical inequities.
As discussions over federalism and land ownership laws intensify, the new Mineral Resources Bill 2025 could serve as a pivotal moment in ensuring a fairer, more just distribution of the country’s mineral wealth.
While the government asserts that benefits from these resources are shared equitably across the country, Wale calls for landowners to be the top priority, signaling a growing movement to acknowledge indigenous peoples’ rights to the wealth beneath their feet.
The final version of the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 is expected to be presented for review in the coming weeks, with consultations continuing on how to best implement federalism while ensuring indigenous landowners are no longer left behind.
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