High Court Appeal Revives Stakeholder Role in Northern Territorian Orchard Project

On June 11, 2025, the Central Land Council (CLC) in Australia confirmed its plans to appeal to the High Court on behalf of the Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation, challenging the recent court decision allowing the Singleton Farm orchard project to proceed. The project, a large-scale agribusiness development in the Northern Territory’s Barkly region, has raised serious concerns among Traditional Owners over potential damage to sacred sites, hunting grounds, and culturally significant landscapes. Despite earlier legal rulings favoring the developer, Indigenous groups assert that the environmental and cultural risks remain inadequately addressed.