The steady process of the transfer of land claimed and won back to Warlpiri hands was followed closely by the rising interest in gold and other mineral exploration that gathered momentum during the 1980s. By the early part of the following decade, the central area of the Tanami Desert was literally being held under the microscope. Both Normandy NFM (previously North Flinders Mines — NFM) and Tanami Joint Venture were allocated exploration licences over The Granites and Tanami respectively that had lain dormant during the 1970s. An exploration licence was granted to NFM in 1975, with subsequent mineral leases offered by the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy in 1980, and an agreement was finally reached between the CLC and NFM in 1983. This agreement was necessary because of the need for NFM to secure more land outside of the licence in order to set up its processing plant and other requirements for the proposed mine at The Granites, including a large and steady water supply. In 1987 mining recommenced at Tanami, and by 1991 control of the mine passed to Zapopan. Zapopan held the exploration licences negotiated with the traditional owners and the CLC around the original Tanami Joint Venture mine site at Tanami, where the gold deposits within the existing lease were soon exhausted. By 1995, further deposits were found in close proximity to the mine and Central Desert Joint Venture was formed by Otter Gold Mines Ltd and Acacia Resources.

The continuing attraction that the Tanami Desert region holds for gold exploration has been buoyed by the success of Normandy NFM in the discovery of a remarkable deposit west of The Granites. The effect of the substantial high-grade gold reserves at Callie–Dead Bullock Soak was the catalyst for a dramatic intensification of Exploration Licence Applications that cover the entire survey area: ‘the 1992 discovery of Normandy Mining Ltd’s 3 million ounce Callie gold deposit transformed the Northern Territory’s Tanami region into a sexy exploration address’ (Bell 1998: 65). From the early 1990s Warlpiri of the Tanami Desert have been involved in day-to-day consultations regarding access to places that have been prompted by the post-Callie land-rush which is widely considered to be ‘one of the great modern-day Australian gold discoveries’ (ibid: 67). The total capital expenditure on Callie up until 1998 was $76 million. Normandy NFM’s Callie deposit is by far the greatest reserve of gold so far discovered in the Tanami Desert, and is the first gold mine in Australia that has been developed with the consultation and permission of the Aboriginal owners. In 1999 Normandy NFM were completing a feasibility study on the possibility of a new treatment plant, yet as of late 2000 there was no separate mill or treatment plant at Callie, and ore was transported by haul road to The Granites for processing.

Since its inception in 1976, the ALRA has certainly not restricted the access of mining interests to Aboriginal land in the Tanami Desert. Annual exploration expenditure in the Northern Territory went from $1 million to $40 million over a period of 20 years, and is showing little sign of slowing (Ireland 1996: 2). Total expenditure on gold exploration in the Tanami Desert alone was in excess of $12 million in 1997 (CLC 1998b: 6). As of the beginning of the year 2000, there were over 100 Exploration Licence Applications in the Tanami Desert awaiting consideration, more than 160 licences had already been granted under the terms of 53 agreements between the CLC and various mining companies, and there were seven actual mining leases.

The Federal and Northern Territory Governments’ programs for the economic development of Aboriginal people in remote areas have met with little success. In contrast, mining companies have been active in exploiting the few opportunities for economic development in remote Australia, particularly in the Tanami Desert. The return of mining to this region is of great significance because of the mutually beneficial relationship it affords. The mining companies benefit through the extraction of gold on Warlpiri terms, and the Warlpiri benefit by receiving considerable financial benefits through royalty payments as well as regional and community development and employment (Manning 1997: 33).