QUEENSLAND WORKING TO HELP SOLVE NATIVE TITLE ISSUES ON CAPE YORK, SAYS WALLACE

Suggestions that the Queensland Government was not cooperating fully to help resolve native title issues on Cape York were not true, Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said today.

Mr Wallace said he was puzzled by a statement today by Cape York Land Council Chairman Michael Ross that Mr Wallace was not interested in fastracking native title resolution on the Cape.

“In fact, I met with Michael Ross in the Queensland Parliament last week and offered my full support for faster resolution of native title issues,” Mr Wallace said.

“I also agreed to meet Mr Ross again in August after our two organisations had had time to meet and produce an agreed agenda of issues,” he said.

Mr Wallace said his office also had been in contact with the office of the Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland to help co-ordinate a joint ministerial meeting with Mr Ross.

“I am disappointed that a week after having these discussions with Mr Ross, our willingness to work with the CYLC on native title issues could be so thoroughly misunderstood.”

Queensland leads the way in the resolution of native title matters by way of agreement.

Over 50% of all Indigenous Land Use Agreements registered nationally – over 170 - have been in Queensland.

Queensland also leads the way in resolving native title claims by consent – again with around 50% of all Australian claims finalised in Queensland.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.