$860,000 to progress joint management in national parks and reserves

29/06/05
Plans for indigenous participation in park management will be developed for the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve and the Rudall River National Park with $860,000 from the Gallop Government.
Deputy Premier Eric Ripper made the announcement at today's formal ratification of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands Native Title determination.
The settlement is Australia's largest and involves 188,000sq km of land, including the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve.
Mr Ripper said the Government's support for joint management plans for parks was in response to a High Court ruling that the vesting of reserves effectively extinguished native title.
"In this and other cases, joint management will address the fact that many successful claimants live and wish to continue to live inside the borders of national parks and reserves," he said.
"Through joint management, local indigenous communities will have a very important role in caring for the land, while continuing to utilise their traditional land management techniques and skills.
"The Gallop Government is helping to get the balance right by enhancing conservation outcomes on the one hand while respecting cultural observance on the other."
Joint management also provides valuable training and job opportunities, not generally available in these remote areas.
The $860,000 through the Office of Native Title is for two years, with the possibility of additional Government funding after that.
The Deputy Premier said the Ngaanyatjarra Lands Native Title determination represented a major milestone in the Government's aim of settling native title by agreement instead of costly and time-consuming legal action.
While the struggle for native title in the region began more than 25 years ago, major progress followed last year's decision, supported by the State Government, to amalgamate six existing claims into one.
"After just eight short months, the indigenous communities in the region successfully negotiated a landmark native title agreement the largest ever achieved in Australia," Mr Ripper said.
"This agreement provides the whole country with an example of how much can be achieved when everyone works towards a common goal."
Mr Ripper said native title claims covering 521,452sq.km of land had been settled under the Gallop Government compared to just 106,709sq.km under the previous Coalition Government.
"The Gallop Government is committed to settling native title issues by agreement wherever possible. This ensures the rights of all parties - including indigenous people, miners and pastoralists - are protected," he said.
Deputy Premier's office: 9222 8788

Background:

The Ngaanyatjarra Lands Native Title claim overlaps six existing claim applications, Gibson Desert, Tingarri Tjina, Tjirrkarli Kanpa, Warburton-Mantamaru, Irrunytju Papulankutja and Baker Lake, and the previously unclaimed Watalya.
These claims will be withdrawn following the Federal Court determination.
The determination recognises that the communities that form a broad Western Desert cultural bloc hold native title. These communities share similar social organisation, culture and ritual and one or two language dialects.
The determination recognises exclusive possession native title over most of the claim area, including special leases, reserves held in trust for the use and benefit of Aboriginal people and unallocated crown land. Non-exclusive possession native title is recognised over the Warburton Range Stock Route.
Where exclusive possession exists, the native title holders have the right to possess, occupy, use and enjoy the land to the exclusion of all others, together with the right to take flowing and subterranean water for personal, domestic and non-commercial communal purposes.
Where non-exclusive possession exists, the native title holders have the right to enter and remain, to take flora and fauna, to take water for personal, domestic or non-commercial communal purposes, to take other natural resources such as ochre, stones, soils, wood and resin, and the right to care for, maintain and protect sites and areas of significance.
Excluded from the claim, were areas where native title had been extinguished. These included the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve, the Giles Weather Station and a number of other Public Works.
Major parties to the agreement included the State and Commonwealth Governments, the Shire of Laverton, Western Mining Corporation (WMC), Telstra and Air Services Australia.
A number of side agreements have also been negotiated that will ensure continuing public access to major roads, such as the Great Central Road, and will streamline the process by which WMC can gain access to its numerous tenements, in the post determination environment.

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