Indigenous Land Use Agreement

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, representing the Attorney-General, questions regarding the Indigenous land use agreement for the Coober Pedy township.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: On 17 June 2014, I asked a question with regard to the Indigenous land use agreement for the Coober Pedy township. In this question, I outlined that negotiations for an Indigenous land use agreement had been going on for three years; however, no agreement had been made. Another year has now passed, and I understand that there still has been no agreement. I am advised that, without an agreement, matters such as freeholding applications, boundary realignments and surveying plans of division have all stalled. My questions are:

1. Can the minister advise what the delay is?

2. Can the minister advise when an Indigenous land use agreement will be finalised?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. I will refer his question to the Attorney-General in another place and bring back a response. It is obviously a policy area outside of my portfolio, but I know from my experience as a former environment minister, when I had a little bit to do with some of these agreements, how incredibly complex these things can be, the level of sensitivities and the sometimes disparate nature of some of these communities that often hold a wide range of very differing views. To try to land on a point where everyone could be in agreement is often a very protracted process, but, as I said, I am not familiar with the details of this particular agreement and am happy to refer it to the Attorney-General.