The National Native Title Tribunal has given the green light to a land use agreement between a local water authority and indigenous people to allow the raising of the water level in the Awoonga Dam near Gladstone.
Queensland State Manager Allan Padgett said the agreement between Gooreng Gooreng, Bailai and Gurang native title claimants and the Gladstone Area Water Board had been formally registered after going through a series of checks including a three month public notice period.
Mr Padgett said the agreement now had full legal effect.
The agreement would allow the flooding of unallocated State land and a camping reserve and the realignment of the Gladstone to Monto Road so the dam could be filled to capacity.
He said indigenous land use agreements were a legally binding and enforceable form of agreement that allowed developments to proceed while protecting the interests of native title holders.
"Indigenous land use agreements offer economic certainty and cultural protection at the local or regional level," he said.
"They can be used by companies in the mining, pastoral, forestry, tourism or other resource industries, and can assist local governments in service provision, town planning and community development."
There were eleven registered indigenous land use agreements nationwide. |