Latest news with #NativeTitle
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Huge Native Title problem that's costing Aussies big as state deals with almost 40 claims - and one has lasted more than two decades
Queensland councils have desperately called on the government to provide financial support as they burn through ratepayers' money dealing with Native Title claims. Councils in the state are currently responding to 38 Native Title claims, with one contest for sea territory in the Torres Strait now running for 24 years. Redland City Council is at the forefront of calls for external funding after spending eight years responding to a Native Title claim over much of its coastline. While Native Titles don't affect freehold property - including residential houses and businesses - the council expressed confusion about the future of its properties. About 3,500 properties owned or managed by Redland City Council have been included in the Quandamooka Coast claim area. The Queensland Government assessed 1,300 of those properties and found 80 could be subject to the title claim, including an animal shelter and cemetery. However, the council has been lumped with the task of processing its remaining properties through the Federal Court to determine if they are eligible for Native Title claim. Typically, exclusion is given when public works - like roads, playgrounds, shelters - were built before December 23, 1996. Redland City Council did not own some of the contested properties before that date but has built parks, recreation areas, and infrastructure on them. The ongoing debate over the properties has already cost the council $2million and its legal bill will continue to grow with a four-week hearing scheduled in September. The council unsuccessfully asked the extended assessment be covered by the Queensland Government, noting 'having clarity over the history of the lots of land will ensure there are no legacy issues down the track'. Senator Pauline Hanson earlier this month called for the state government to take the pressure off small councils being hit with Native Title claim bills. 'While the claimants have their legal costs fully funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Queensland councils had their support taken away long ago,' Hanson said. 'Queensland councils were acknowledged as among the best in responding to Native Title claims until Labor changed the Native Title Respondent Funding Scheme in 2013 and effectively put the cost burden on local ratepayers. 'The Albanese government has since abolished the scheme altogether. 'It's a burden that few, if any, regional Queensland councils can bear.' The Senator echoed the sentiment of councils around the state, saying the Native Title claims 'are often very complex and can take years to resolve, resulting in huge legal costs for respondents'. The Quandamooka Coast claim area includes a small part of Brisbane City, most of mainland Redlands and areas of Lamb Island, Macleay Island, Karragarra Island, Coochiemudlo Island, Cassim Island, Sandy Island, Tindappah Island, Green Island, King Island, St Helena Island and Mud Island. It is being overseen by the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, which in 2011 was granted Native Title over nearby North Stradbroke Island. Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive officer Alison Smith told the Courier Mail she supported calls for funding to be reinstated. 'Local governments are automatically joined as respondents when a Native Title claim affecting the local government area is lodged in the Federal Court,' she said. 'It is critical that the Commonwealth reinstates the Financial Assistance Scheme so local governments are able to access funding to participate in the claim process.' Local Government Minister Ann Leahy wouldn't comment on funding for Native Title claims, instead pointing to decreased 'red tape'. 'While Labor walked away from supporting councils for a decade, the Crisafulli government is helping reduce red tape and costs to ensure they can deliver for their communities,' she said.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Councils urge state support as mounting legal bills from Native Title cases push regional budgets to breaking point
Dozens of Queensland councils are calling for urgent financial support as they grapple with the high costs of Native Title claims, some of which have dragged on for decades. There are currently 38 Native Title claims active across the state, including one in the Torres Strait that's been lodged for 24 years, placing mounting pressure on already stretched local government budgets. While many claims are uncontested, others, particularly those affecting populated areas and public spaces, have forced councils into lengthy and expensive negotiations. Redland City Council has spent over $2 million of ratepayer funds attempting to clarify how the extensive Quandamooka Coast claim could affect the 1300 land parcels within its jurisdiction. That figure is set to climb as a four-week Federal Court hearing looms later this year. 'Council has advocated to the Australian Government and Queensland Government for greater clarity and transparency surrounding Native Title claims, particularly where the claimant seeks exclusive possession of local government-controlled reserves, facilities, and community use areas,' a spokeswoman said. 'Having this clarity is important for the whole community, including Quandamooka peoples, so it can be fully understood where native title rights and interests can be exercised." According to the Courier, some 80 parcels of Redlands land are potentially affected, including key public areas such as Cleveland Cemetery, the Redland Performing Arts Centre, and popular reserves at Wellington Point and Cleveland. 'The Australian Government revoked funding to parties responding to native title claims, including local governments, while funding for parties making Native Title claims has continued,' the spokeswoman added. Native Title law recognises Indigenous Australians' traditional rights to land and waters but does not apply to private land. In recent years, groups such as the Kabi Kabi people have won non-exclusive rights over significant areas in processes that often span decades. Senator Pauline Hanson has now joined the call for support, saying small regional councils are being crushed under the financial strain. 'These claims are often very complex and can take years to resolve, resulting in huge legal costs for respondents. It's simply not fair,' she said. 'It's a burden that few, if any, regional Queensland councils can bear.' Queensland's Local Government Minister, Ann Leahy, said the state is working to ease the pressure on councils, but stopped short of confirming any new funding would be allocated to help with legal costs. 'While Labor walked away from supporting councils for a decade, the Crisafulli government is helping reduce red tape and costs to ensure they can deliver for their communities,' she said.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Moving on before cleaning up: Gas wells spark fears for the Kimberley
The regulator has now listed both the well-containing leases as pending cancellation, and said it prefers sites to be decommissioned and rehabilitated before cancellation takes place, because this facilitates access arrangements. Rey Resources, which sold the subsidiary and wells but remains their operator, has no apparent use for them and ascribes little value to them; before the sale it wrote down their value from nearly $5 million to $400,000 and its latest shareholder update gives no mention of them in its text or tenements map. But rather than plan decommissioning or rehabilitation, after the government knocked back its last environmental plans for the sites, Rey Resources lodged two fresh plans for only annual inspections and maintenance. Environmental group Lock the Gate says they also contain multiple inaccuracies; they do not reference or address the 44 breaches the regulator identified in 2021 that gave rise to the recent government directions notice, instead referencing a nearly decade-old inspection. They also refer to tanks and fences that Lock the Gate says no longer exist on the sites, and security measures Lock the Gate says were also not executed. Lock the Gate also says they contain passages that are obvious remnants of older documents. DEMIRS has estimated the cost to close an abandoned gas well at $1.5 million but that was in 2021 and an easier location, leading Lock the Gate to estimate that the clean-up for these three wells could exceed $5 million given their greater number. Operator Rey Resources hopes to strike it rich from its other leases, including the huge Derby Block tenement covering King Sound and the land adjacent to the wells. Shortly before announcing the China Guoxin deal, Rey applied to clear more than 3000 kilometres of grid lines across Derby Block for seismic testing, prompting fears from Lock the Gate that it lacked either the serious intention or capabilities to safely carry out such work in this high-value location, which is also subject to floods, extreme tides and cyclones. The applications then disappeared and in March, Rey lodged a new plan for Derby Block, which the regulator says it is 'screening'. The WA government has also listed the Derby Block tenement as under 12-month suspension with an extension application lodged in September 2024 for a second year. Rey Resources recently advised investors it was 'actively contacting with Native Title holders and landowners for the land access for the proposed 3D Seismic survey' and 'working with consultant [sic] for the update of [Derby Block's] seismic environmental plan.' It remains unclear whether the department intends to issue further directions notices to China Guoxin/Gulliver Productions regarding the two other wells. Rey Resources did not respond to a request for comment. Attempts to contact China Guoxin Investment Holdings were unsuccessful. Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard said Minister for Mines and Petroleum David Michael needed to take charge before this evolved into a 'Northern Endeavour' situation, referring to the ageing disused oil vessel Woodside sold to an inexperienced company that failed and left the federal government with an enormous clean-up bill. 'We're calling on Minister Michael to explain how taxpayers will not become liable,' Pritchard said. 'Oil and gas companies appear to have free rein in the Kimberley to undertake exploration, but it looks like existing legislation is failing to ensure that industry cleans up the mess.' Lock the Gate says the government should permanently remove these tenements, which could represent the beginning of an extensive fracking industry in the region. Minister Michael said the safe, timely and responsible decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure was a government priority. He said the complexity of ownership and operational history at particular sites often required thorough due diligence to resolve liability, which DEMIRS prioritised to ensure compliance. In March 2024, he said, DEMIRS released a new guideline outlining the requirements for decommissioning of petroleum and geothermal energy assets, including wells, in WA's onshore areas and state coastal waters.
The Age
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Moving on before cleaning up: Gas wells spark fears for the Kimberley
The regulator has now listed both the well-containing leases as pending cancellation, and said it prefers sites to be decommissioned and rehabilitated before cancellation takes place, because this facilitates access arrangements. Rey Resources, which sold the subsidiary and wells but remains their operator, has no apparent use for them and ascribes little value to them; before the sale it wrote down their value from nearly $5 million to $400,000 and its latest shareholder update gives no mention of them in its text or tenements map. But rather than plan decommissioning or rehabilitation, after the government knocked back its last environmental plans for the sites, Rey Resources lodged two fresh plans for only annual inspections and maintenance. Environmental group Lock the Gate says they also contain multiple inaccuracies; they do not reference or address the 44 breaches the regulator identified in 2021 that gave rise to the recent government directions notice, instead referencing a nearly decade-old inspection. They also refer to tanks and fences that Lock the Gate says no longer exist on the sites, and security measures Lock the Gate says were also not executed. Lock the Gate also says they contain passages that are obvious remnants of older documents. DEMIRS has estimated the cost to close an abandoned gas well at $1.5 million but that was in 2021 and an easier location, leading Lock the Gate to estimate that the clean-up for these three wells could exceed $5 million given their greater number. Operator Rey Resources hopes to strike it rich from its other leases, including the huge Derby Block tenement covering King Sound and the land adjacent to the wells. Shortly before announcing the China Guoxin deal, Rey applied to clear more than 3000 kilometres of grid lines across Derby Block for seismic testing, prompting fears from Lock the Gate that it lacked either the serious intention or capabilities to safely carry out such work in this high-value location, which is also subject to floods, extreme tides and cyclones. The applications then disappeared and in March, Rey lodged a new plan for Derby Block, which the regulator says it is 'screening'. The WA government has also listed the Derby Block tenement as under 12-month suspension with an extension application lodged in September 2024 for a second year. Rey Resources recently advised investors it was 'actively contacting with Native Title holders and landowners for the land access for the proposed 3D Seismic survey' and 'working with consultant [sic] for the update of [Derby Block's] seismic environmental plan.' It remains unclear whether the department intends to issue further directions notices to China Guoxin/Gulliver Productions regarding the two other wells. Rey Resources did not respond to a request for comment. Attempts to contact China Guoxin Investment Holdings were unsuccessful. Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard said Minister for Mines and Petroleum David Michael needed to take charge before this evolved into a 'Northern Endeavour' situation, referring to the ageing disused oil vessel Woodside sold to an inexperienced company that failed and left the federal government with an enormous clean-up bill. 'We're calling on Minister Michael to explain how taxpayers will not become liable,' Pritchard said. 'Oil and gas companies appear to have free rein in the Kimberley to undertake exploration, but it looks like existing legislation is failing to ensure that industry cleans up the mess.' Lock the Gate says the government should permanently remove these tenements, which could represent the beginning of an extensive fracking industry in the region. Minister Michael said the safe, timely and responsible decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure was a government priority. He said the complexity of ownership and operational history at particular sites often required thorough due diligence to resolve liability, which DEMIRS prioritised to ensure compliance. In March 2024, he said, DEMIRS released a new guideline outlining the requirements for decommissioning of petroleum and geothermal energy assets, including wells, in WA's onshore areas and state coastal waters.
ABC News
24-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Bigambul elders caring for country through generational knowledge
Whether slapping mud pies on the banks of border rivers in south-west Queensland, or flattening out land with a toy steamroller made from a tin filled with dirt, Bigambul woman Leah Mann thought her childhood was all fun and games. Now an elder of her people, she realises those cherished moments were partaking in the ancient Aboriginal tradition of caring for country. "We had an old tobacco tin, our nana would put seeds in it, we would throw them down by the creek and that would grow food," Aunty Leah said. It is this multi-generational knowledge of the environment that the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, based in Goondiwindi, realised needed to be documented and shared in their new Caring for Country Plan. The traditional owners said the plan, released on Thursday, would guide the development of infrastructure projects across the region and lead to the ongoing protection, rehabilitation and restoration of country. Aunty Leah said they were also embracing new environmental protection methods to plan for the future. "We have a greenhouse, and we propagate all the seeds we have taken from our country. Those will be planted back where they used to grow," she said. "The waterways will look better because we'll add little things like mussels and some certain fish that will clean the waterways." Some strategies in the Caring for Country Plan have already seen success in the Goondiwindi area, including the use of fire to control invasive weeds. First Nations firefighter sector commander Jason Scott said they conducted cultural and mitigation burns to help control Harrisia cactus and the mother of millions succulent. "We conduct cool burns to boil the cactus, to get it back down to its root system," Mr Scott said. "Kangaroos will then eat that root system or farmers will put cows over the top. "With the mother of millions it's a toxic burn, so we have to be very careful and well-regulated with our breathing." Mr Scott said the Bigambul rangers carefully ensured no culturally significant sites were impacted. "The rangers do a replanting program on country to bring back some of the native trees that have been decimated due to over-logging and removal," he said. "We've got a lot of native trees coming back because in Australia our trees require fire to be able to propagate." The Caring for Country Plan took three years to develop and included input from the local community, industry and various government departments and representatives. Project director Jeremy Hall said they spent nine months building partnerships and collaborating with interested parties across the wider Goondiwindi area. "We use this as a very powerful tool when speaking to proponents coming on country, whether it's renewables or major infrastructure," Mr Hall said. "The first port of call is no harm. But if you're going to cause harm, take a balanced approach on how you will mitigate and not just offset it, but mitigate and care." Mr Hall said their objective was to foster support and understanding, connecting community and mob to country. "Bigambul is open for business … it's part of the nation-building initiatives," Mr Hall said. The Bigambul people, whose lands cover about 17,000 square kilometre of south-west Queensland, believe that a healthy country creates healthy people. Elder Regina Munn said it was their cultural obligation to keep the knowledge of the land and water intact for future generations. "When [the land] is dry, arid and scorched it's almost depressing," Aunty Regina said. "When the rain comes the earth is quenched, the rivers rise, the fish and birds are out. All of that combines to create a happy community. "It's not just about Bigambul land, it's about the land in general, and it's all the land in general that we have native title determination over."
