Queensland to push ahead on land tenure reform for Indigenous communities

The Queensland Government will push ahead on land tenure reform for Indigenous Communities, irrespective of the Commonwealth’s involvement.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Warren Pitt said today the reforms were a State Government responsibility, and priority.

“Queensland doesn’t need to take any cues from the Federal Government on this issue,” Mr Pitt said.

“Queensland is already pushing ahead with the necessary policy and planning work, and then the negotiation and consultation, that will need to occur to come up with practical and workable reforms.

“We can well do without the grandstanding and posturing that we are now seeing from the Federal Minister Mr Brough and other Federal Liberal MPs.

“The Queensland Government is already examining proposals to reform land tenure arrangements for Indigenous communities, which are intended among other things to pave the way for home ownership, and economic and social development.

“Mr Brough is trying to make out that Queensland needs to be pressured and coerced into moving on these reforms.

“This is a case of the Federal Government trying to make itself look good at Queensland’s expense.

“The Federal Liberal Member for Herbert, Mr Peter Lindsay has come out today ‘demanding that the Beattie Government follow the Commonwealth's lead in the Northern Territory to clear the way for Indigenous people to own their own land.’

“What Mr Lindsay doesn’t know or won’t say is that there are significant differences in legislative arrangements between Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“The Federal Government’s model for the Northern Territory is based on individual communities setting up a Land Trust with whom they propose to deal as the ‘traditional owners’ or native title holders.

“In Queensland, however, it would be necessary to establish an Indigenous Land Use Agreement.

“Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of the Northern Territory the land in Aboriginal communities is held for the benefit of traditional owners, whereas the Aboriginal Land Act land in Queensland is held for the benefit "of Aboriginal people.”

“In Queensland this means that we are dealing with potentially different groups who may be represented by the Indigenous local government councils, deed of grant trustees, aboriginal land trustees and native title holders.”

Mr Pitt said that as a direct outcome of a meeting between the Premier and mayors of Indigenous councils in Atherton last month, senior Queensland Government officials would meet with a working group of three mayors tomorrow.

The government team will include the government's highest level chief executive officer, the Director-General of the Department of the Premier, who has been put in charge of pushing ahead with the negotiations on the government side.

Also involved are the Director-General of the Department of Communities, as well as the department's Assistant Director General responsible for the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

The government representatives will meet with the mayors of Bamaga, Hope Vale and Yarrabah.

Mr Pitt said one of the priority issues to form part of an intended agreement between the government and Indigenous councils would be the inter-related aspects of land tenure and ownership, housing and infrastructure.

Following the meeting in Atherton, the Premier gave a commitment that “We will meet again towards the end of April to sign an agreement to formalise today’s decision." The Premier further said: “We’ve also agreed that the Council of Mayors will meet twice a year with the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Partnerships, Warren Pitt.”

“The government is committed to meeting these undertakings,” Mr Pitt said.

Media contact: Joe Begley 3235 4280