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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-11-25 Daily Xml
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INNAMINCKA REGIONAL RESERVE

Adjourned debate on motion of Minister for State/Local Government Relations (resumed on motion).

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (16:02): I apologise for my absence earlier, so I will be brief. I wish to thank the Minister for Environment and Conservation for providing me with a briefing on this matter. I understand that the excision of the Innamincka township is in fact in line with the Indigenous Land Usage Agreement that was signed by the traditional owners of the YY people a number of years ago. I do hope that I am not offending anyone but I am not actually even going to attempt to pronounce the actual name. I know that Hansard has enough difficulty understanding me as it is, so forgive me.

I was assured during that briefing that the traditional owners were comfortable with the excision of the township from the Innamincka Regional Reserve in view of the ILUA. However, I felt that it was my duty to make contact with the representatives of the traditional owners to ensure that they were fully informed of what was happening. I understand that the ILUA provided for the excision. I just wanted to be sure that there were no other issues that had cropped up since then, so to speak. My office has been in contact with the representatives of the traditional owners on a number of occasions and, as result of these discussions, I advise that I will be supporting this motion.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (16:04): I thank honourable members for their contributions in support of this motion: the Hons Mark Parnell and Kelly Vincent. The Hon. Mark Parnell asked a number of questions during his second reading contribution, and I will now provide the answers for the record. He asked a question in relation to which conservation groups were consulted. I have been advised that The Wilderness Society was advised on the proposed excision and raised no concerns as the proposal supports the aspirations of the YY people to connect with their country.

As I mentioned in this place yesterday, the township ILUA was entered into between the state and the YY people to settle the native title claim over the township. The ILUA requires the state to seek parliament's approval to excise the township from the regional reserve, so that a number of allotments can be freeholded to the YY people as part of the negotiated native title benefits package. The ILUA has been registered with the National Native Title Tribunal and is binding on all parties. The South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Council was advised of the proposal and raised no concerns.

Questions were asked about the freehold blocks, the size of the blocks and whether there were any blocks outside the 182 hectares being excised. I have been advised that the agreed blocks will be transferred to the YY Aboriginal Lands Corporation to hold on behalf of the YY people. This is the body that has entered into the ILUA with the state. The blocks are approximately 0.12 hectares each. There are no freehold blocks in the Innamincka Regional Reserve outside the 182 hectares being excised. The existing freehold blocks are located within the township boundaries, as are the crown land blocks, and will be considered for freeholding.

There are 150 blocks in the total of the township; around 50 are currently freeholded, four will be freeholded to YY as part of the ILUA and the remaining 100 blocks will be assessed for future freeholding opportunities and will remain in the care and control of DENR on behalf of the minister. There was also a question about whether development applications are assessed against the management plan for the park, the development plan or a combination of both. I have been advised that the development by a crown agency on land dedicated under the National Parks and Wildlife Act is exempt from approval under the Development Act.

It is not assessed against either the management plan or the development plan. Development by any other party is assessed against the provisions of the development plan and a number of other instruments, including, for example, building rules. It is not assessed against the reserve management plan. However, it should be noted that under the National Parks and Wildlife Act a reserve management plan must be prepared, having regard to the provisions of any relevant development plan and the overarching planning for the state. This ensures consistency between the two planning documents. In essence, the development plan takes precedence in assessing development applications.

There was also a question from the Hon. Mark Parnell on whether there was any consistency at present between the development plan and the reserve management plan. I have been advised that the Innamincka Regional Reserve management plan was adopted in 1993. The township is part of the broader Innamincka zone, which covers the main area of visitor interest along the Cooper Creek. The management plan emphasises the need for careful development within the township that is compatible and complementary to the built environment of the township and development that does not detract from the surrounding natural features of the reserve.

The management plan is entirely consistent with the development principles for Innamincka township that are described in the development plan. It is considered that the development plan provides a sufficiently high requirement for development to be consistent with the reserve's environment and heritage values. The Department for Environment and Natural Resources is revising the Innamincka Regional Reserve management plan in consultation with the YY Parks Advisory Committee, which has been established as an outcome of the ILUA for Innamincka Regional Reserve and the Coongie Lakes National Park. It is expected that the draft management plan will be released for public consultation in 2012.

There was a question about whether the township came under the provisions of exempt land under the Mining Act, and I have been advised that, yes, the existing provisions of the Mining Act place the township, associated infrastructure and the airstrip within definitions of exempt land. Finally, there was a question about whether the land will need to be surrendered in the pastoral lease over the Innamincka Regional Reserve. I have been advised that, yes, that is required. However, DENR has advised that the pastoral lessee has already surrendered that portion of their pastoral lease that is being excised from the regional reserve. I thank members for their support.

Motion carried.

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