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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-23 Daily Xml
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INNAMINCKA REGIONAL RESERVE

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (11:08): I move:

That this house requests His Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 34A(2) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 excluding the following land from the Innamincka Regional Reserve: sections 791, 1081-1084, Out of Hundreds (Innamincka); allotments 41, 44, 48, 63-72, 77-82, 84-100, 115-118, 127-132, 135, 136, 151-164, 168-175, 179-186, 188-194, 196, 198-201, Township of Innamincka, Out of Hundreds (Innamincka); allotments 51 and 52, deposited plan 84007, Out of Hundreds (Innamincka); allotment 54 deposited plan 84009, Out of Hundreds (Innamincka).

The purpose of the motion is to excise the Innamincka township and associated infrastructure from the regional reserve. Under section 34A of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, the alteration of the boundaries of Innamincka Regional Reserve will require a resolution of both houses of parliament and a subsequent proclamation by the Governor. As members would be aware, the township of Innamincka is located in the far north-east of South Australia. It is wholly located within the Innamincka Regional Reserve. Land tenure within the surveyed town boundaries is a mosaic of freehold title and crown land, and the crown land parcels are legally part of the Innamincka Regional Reserve.

Key features of the town include: the restored Australian Inland Mission Nursing Home, and I encourage all members to go and have a look at that, it is an outstanding restoration; the Innamincka Hotel, which, again, is worth visiting if you are at Innamincka; and the Innamincka Trading Post, again, another place worth visiting. An airstrip is located east of the township.

The Innamincka Regional Reserve covers 1.3 million hectares and was constituted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 1988. The reserve provides a framework to protect significant natural and cultural values, in particular wetlands and watercourses associated with the Cooper Creek, while allowing use of the natural resources through petroleum exploration and extraction, and, of course, pastoral production.

The state recognises that the Yandruwandha/Yawarrawarrka people (also known as the YY people) are the traditional owners of, and assert native title over, land and waters in the area of their native title claim. The claim area comprises 40,304 square kilometres and includes the Innamincka township.

It is the policy of this government to resolve native title claims through negotiation rather than trial wherever possible. In recognising this native title claim, the government has entered into the Innamincka Township Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Yandruwandha/Yawarrawarrka Traditional Land Owners (Aboriginal Corporation).

The Innamincka township ILUA provides for: the alteration of the Innamincka Regional Reserve boundaries to effect the excision of the township, including the town airstrip, from the reserve; freeholding and transfer of four allotments to the corporation; and the surrender by the YY people to the state all of their native title rights and interests in relation to all land and waters within the Innamincka township area.

The Innamincka township ILUA also provides for the construction of residential dwellings and a museum and office for the YY people on the transferred allotments. As I have mentioned, the portion of the reserve to be excised includes the Innamincka township and adjacent airstrip. It covers approximately 182 hectares. The area being excised has minimal conservation value due to its use as a township. On excision from the reserve, the land will revert to the status of unallotted crown land under the Crown Land Management Act 2009. With this status, the land will be under the management of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, except those parcels that are freehold.

Following consideration by the parliament and subsequent proclamation by the Governor to excise the land from the reserve, the freeholding of the agreed township allotments will commence for transfer to the YY people. Excision from the reserve also allows additional allotments to be freeholded or licensed in a manner consistent with the orderly growth of the town. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will assess which blocks are suitable for offer for sale for residential or commercial purposes.

Ongoing development of the township will be guided by the relevant development plan, called 'Land Not Within a Council Area Eyre, Far North, Riverland and Whyalla', which was last consolidated in June 2010. The principles of development control in the development plan for the Innamincka township place a high standard on conserving and enhancing the historic character and environment of the area.

The excision of land from the reserve will bring many opportunities for the YY people. The provision of freehold allotments to the YY people will provide them with an opportunity to undertake a small business enterprise, to have ownership and access to residential premises within their traditional lands and to provide easy access to those lands. This will enable the YY people to carry on their affiliation with the land and to teach traditional knowledge and practices to younger generations and, in some cases, to the broader public. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (11:14): Innamincka—it is dangerous to say this, of course—is one of my very favourite places in the electorate of Stuart. I was very fortunate to be a shareholder in a business—the Trading Post—the minister referred to before for approximately five years. I went there very regularly and I know it reasonably well. I am happy to say at the outset that I do wholeheartedly support the excision of these blocks of land from the Innamincka Regional Reserve.

What goes on up there, for a few people who may not know, is that there is actually an overlap of this whole large area of land—of regional reserve, of pastoral lease and also of petroleum, mining and exploration leases—all operating very well together. The Innamincka Station is one of the very oldest Kidman stations in South Australia, which, I think, now would have to be getting close to 110 years in Kidman hands, or something like that. It is a very unique and very important place and, of course, very important for the environment.

Approximately 50,000 tourists a year go to Innamincka which, of course, then creates enormous management challenges in terms of trying to overlay all that—the mining, the pastoral, the environment, the tourism and the people who live there (approximately one dozen people live in Innamincka), as well as the business interests. I am fully in favour of removing the land from the reserve, and I thank the minister's office for providing me with some answers to some questions in haste this morning, given that this motion was expected to come on this afternoon.

I am also very pleased that the Indigenous connection with the land will be recognised and that four blocks out of approximately 100 blocks of land will be made available to the people for further use. I do have a couple of questions and, if he gets the opportunity, I would be grateful if the minister could include some direction in his closing remarks.

My main concern is the fact that if this land is not released in a steady and smooth but accessible and sensible way we have not really achieved anything. If these blocks of land are taken out of the Innamincka Regional Reserve, which is currently under the care and control of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), they just stay as unallocated blocks of land under DENR care and control but are not made available to the public (whether that is for residential, recreational, commercial or some other use), and if that does not happen relatively soon and relatively smoothly we have not achieved anything.

I would be grateful if the minister could include roughly what the plan is. I understand that that will fit within the broad planning constraints of the area. This is quite a unique area in the sense that it can look a bit like a desert (even the middle of town can look a bit like a desert at times), and then, within a few days, it can look like a swamp. Some very serious and very genuine development issues need to be dealt with.

I am not suggesting for a minute that there should be a free-for-all, that it should just be let go and that people can do whatever they like with them. However, if access is not given to this land we have not achieved a thing. I would like to know if possible on what commercial grounds the land might be made available—whether it would be auction, whether it would be tender or whether it would just be a straight sale and over what period of time.

I understand that the minister may not have all these answers immediately today, but if he could give some indication of his intention of how the land would be available to the public over the next few years, I would be grateful. I also think that an important thing to be taken into consideration is how this might impact on the people who currently live there, because a small core group of people live in Innamincka and they have been there for many years.

Some of these people will think that this is a wonderful move because it will increase their property values (potentially) and some people will think it wonderful because it will increase their scope for business value and/or business profit and loss. Some will think it is good because there are some vacant, privately held blocks of land at Innamincka, and, no doubt, growth and development will increase the value and potentially the scope and the flexibility in terms of how people can use those blocks of land. There will be a range of views.

I also think—and this might surprise some people—that there will be very strong interest and strong demand. People from all over Australia will be interested in accessing blocks of land at Innamincka. That is why I ask—because I think we might be rushed, rather than have to drag people to be interested in these lands, so it is very important that that is considered.

I would be grateful if the minister could indicate how these approximately 100 blocks of land will be made available to the public and what zoning and planning will apply to them, because there will be lots of people who would like to buy a block and put a new shop or a shack on every corner. Obviously, water and sewerage pressures will become an issue. It is a matter of plain fact that the water supply and the sewerage/STED scheme are really not up to scratch for the job they currently do, so that has to be given consideration as to how blocks might be developed in the future. I think it is a good move, as long as these blocks can then move out of DENR/Crown control and into public, productive and useful control of members of the public.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:21): It is quite unusual for the government to put a motion during government business and for the minister to actually move it and lead the debate in lieu of the government moving legislation. I understand exactly why, and it is all about requesting the Governor to make a proclamation under section 34A(2) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 excluding from the reserve the lots that are listed in the motion.

The Innamincka Regional Reserve is located in the far north-east of South Australia, as we know, and was constituted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972—that was before I got here, but not by much—in 1988 (still before I got here) to provide a framework to protect significant natural and cultural values, while allowing use of the natural resources through petroleum exploration and extraction and pastoral production.

We recognise that the Yandruwandha and the Yawarrawarrka people (who I will refer to as the YY people) are the traditional owners and assert native title over land and waters in the area of this YY native title claim. The claim area comprises 40,340 square kilometres in the north-east of South Australia and includes the Innamincka township. The government has entered into the Innamincka town Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the YY people, the traditional owners.

I have been to Innamincka several times with the previous member for Stuart and I look forward to a trip with the new member for Stuart. It is a most unique and wonderful place, and I have lots of great memories from this place, with the mighty Cooper Creek out the front. When the Cooper flows, it is usually time to go to Innamincka.

It is a growing town, as we have heard, and an important outpost in this very isolated area. It is great to see that we currently have a motel offering pretty good quality accommodation and you can go and stay there. Apart from the noise of the generator running during the night, you are not really aware that you are in such an isolated place. For those who have not been to Innamincka, I recommend a trip. I suggest you fly because the road can certainly be very tricky, but the airstrip is pretty good up on top of the hill. You can be there in a couple of hours from Adelaide if you have a pretty slick aeroplane.

As the member for Stuart has just said, a lot of people would be interested in buying a block of land up there—and you can understand why—to have a real 'getting away from it' retreat because it is most unique. It should be promoted, which I recognise.

Finally, I am very encouraged that the government and others can reverse such a situation, because people say, 'Once it's a reserve, it's always a reserve.' In this instance, I am pleased that the government and others have said, 'Look, hang on, we need to rationalise this and, hopefully, release the land.'

I have been here a while and I can remember the debate we had particularly about the Yumbarra National Park on the West Coast at Ceduna. There was concern that, if we locked it up, all the prospective mineralisation in there would be locked up in the national park forever. This is a reserve and there is a slight difference, but at least it can be revisited, and I am very encouraged by that.

The former member for Stuart would always stick up strongly (as I am sure the new member will also ) for the Innamincka region and the people operating the tourism ventures on the Cooper Creek. The previous member, the Hon. Graham Gunn, was here yesterday. However, I am sad to say that the operator, Peter Weir, has gone. It is sad because he gave very good service as the only tourism operator on the Cooper.

With the Burke and Wills expedition getting a lot more public airplay, it is an opportune time for Innamincka to become an even bigger tourist attraction for world travellers. A visit to the outback could include Wilpena, Arkaroola, Innamincka and Uluru (Ayers Rock). That is all good. Even though this motion is unusual—I cannot quite recall, in my time here, a minister actually moving a motion—it is all about asking the Governor to change the act and open up the reserve for development. I support the government's motion and hope that the Governor will consider it favourably.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. Yes, I think Innamincka is one of the loveliest places in the state and I very much enjoy going there.

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11:27): I congratulate the minister on bringing this motion to the house. On a number of occasions I had the experience of travelling to Innamincka and, I think on every occasion, with the previous member for Stuart, Graham Gunn. It was always a bone of contention with the former member that Innamincka was being constricted in its development, particularly the tourism industry in that area, and for a long time he argued the case for this move and that it should have occurred much earlier.

He also argued a similar case for many other parts of the Far North. At William Creek there is one business that I (along with Graham Gunn and other colleagues) visited on a number of occasions. We talked to the proprietors about the difficulties they had investing in the Far North to provide services for the travelling public and particularly the tourism industry and investing in land that they had no title over or tenure. William Creek and certainly Innamincka come to mind in that respect.

About 18 months ago, while I was recreating on the river near Mannum, I had occasion to meet a person who runs a business in the Far North servicing the mining industry, and I have since talked to a number of people in that same field of enterprise who need to build depots. This particular person wanted to build a depot to service his own business and he also wanted to incorporate a fuel stop, a service centre to provide for the travelling public and possibly some units for people to stay in or an area where they could pitch their tents or pull up their caravans. He was talking of investing something in excess of $1 million to build such a depot but could not get tenure or title to a piece of land on which to do it. That made it almost impossible for him to proceed with that venture, which meant that it made it very difficult for him to operate his business.

I know of other such businesses. Just out of Innamincka, I visited one trucking company that had a depot on a piece of land and a licence had been given to a mining company to utilise it for a period of time. The mining company was servicing that operation and had constructed a camp site and a depot but had no tenure and, in fact, last time I was there, had been told it had to move on. So, the fact that we do not have parcels of land for people to take up with a solid tenure, a freehold title, in which they can invest to support these industries in the Far North is restricting both the tourism and mining industries in the Far North. Unfortunately, I was not here to hear the comments from the now member for Stuart.

The Hon. P. Caica: It was an excellent speech.

Mr WILLIAMS: I am sure it was excellent—he has a way with words. I have had discussions with him earlier on this matter and I know he is supportive of this move. The Liberal opposition supports this motion. As I say, I congratulate the minister on bringing it to the house and only lament that it did not occur many years ago. I am sure it will provide a fillip to the town of Innamincka. It is a really interesting place to visit; and I urge those members who have not been there to go there.

One of the things that fascinated me, for the information of members, is that there is a sign at the creek crossing (the causeway) just out of the town at Innamincka that says that in 1972, when there was a major flood in central Queensland and Lake Eyre filled for the first time in many generations, more water flowed over the causeway at Innamincka than flowed down the River Murray in 1956. That is a fantastic piece of information and I was fascinated by it.

The heart of Australia is desert a lot of the time but it is a beautiful desert. It is a great place to visit and, obviously, the mining industry is growing in both exploration and mining. The Innamincka area is particularly prospective for geothermal power, and Geodynamics has been working there for a number of years, and I have visited that site.

As the member for Stuart points out to me, any economic activity that occurs at Innamincka (and I am sure this will drive economic activity) also supports and drives economic activity in the other communities in the Far North, all the way down to Lyndhurst, Copley and Leigh Creek and other communities and townships. They are all linked and dependent on each other, and any upgraded service at Innamincka will flow onto other outback communities. The member for Stuart is greatly appreciative of that and the support it will bring to his constituency. With those words, I conclude my remarks.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (11:33): I thank the opposition members for their contributions and support of this motion and, particularly, the very thoughtful contribution of the member for Stuart. I also acknowledge the comment of the member for Schubert that this is a very unusual motion. I think in my time here this is the first motion that I have brought in this context. It is very unusual but, again, very important.

I think what came through in the contributions of all the opposition members is the beauty of the land that we are talking about, that is, the land surrounding Innamincka. Indeed, we would talk about the beauty of that entire region. The member for MacKillop talked about the amount of water flowing over the causeway in 1972. I was lucky enough to be up there earlier this year, I think in May, and looked at what was a significant amount of water slowly travelling over that vast outback area.

Quite frankly, Lake Eyre Basin is one of those great untapped wilderness areas. I guess the point I would like to make more than anything else is that they are areas we want people to enjoy. So, whilst they have been very resilient areas over millions of years, we know that in essence they can be very fragile areas as well, and that is why it is very important that we as a government or as people who visit those areas treat it in such a way that we leave it so that future generations can continue to enjoy this outback wilderness.

Notwithstanding that, I acknowledge the points the member for MacKillop made, that if we are to have activities that underpin our economy, our local communities, our traditional owners there and the welfare of wellbeing of all people who live in the outback, we need to do it in a very thoughtful way, and we need to do it in such a way that we are actually in control of that planning process so that we do not then diminish the amenity and aspects of the wilderness area that we all want to preserve and that we all enjoy.

The member for Stuart raised questions specifically about the future public release of blocks of land, that is, when will such an assessment occur as to which blocks will be released and how will that process occur? I can answer that, whilst no date has been set at this point in time in regard to future release (and one might argue that there is no market demand at the moment), I acknowledge, believe and support the member for Stuart's words that they will be rather well sought after—and why not?

Importantly, it is critical to us that, with the release, we have proper and appropriate planning and processes in place. As was raised by the members for Stuart and Schubert, when we talk about access to water, sewerage and energy and the like, it is very important that we do plan this through processes in a proper way so that we finish up with a very well-planned and sustainable township.

We will undertake a thorough assessment process. That assessment process will be against the policies and disposal of crown land but, paramount in that is to make sure that we do have not only an orderly process but one that finishes up in such a way that we have a well-planned township which is able to be sustained and done in a thoughtful and orderly way.

I took up the issues of roads, the land strip, and the raising of the causeway over the river—there is a host of issues there. What I would say is that, as we get a critical mass there, even though you say 100 blocks is not much, there is a greater opportunity to do things more so than ever before in a thoughtful and planned out way.

I thank the opposition for its support of this very important motion. The undertaking I give today is to keep the local member and others advised about the process as it is worked through, and I will continue to do that because it is a very important issue. I think it is a very important motion that this parliament and the house are supporting today. It is incumbent upon me to make sure that I keep the house and individual members apprised of the process with respect to the disposal of that land in the context of provisions of the crown land. Again, I thank members for their contribution.

Motion carried.

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