Cape York Land Council Offers Vietnam Vets Olive Branch
Media Statement and Ministerial Statement from Peter Beattie on resolving the question of Vietnam Veterans access to Kalpower lands.
Media statement Premier & Treasurer, Peter Beattie 26/10/05
Cape York Offer To Resolve Vietnam Veterans' Access Issue
The Cape York Land Council has given the Queensland Government written confirmation that they intend to resolve access arrangements with the Vietnam Veterans at Kalpower by the time their land tenure agreement is reached.
Premier Peter Beattie announced today in Parliament he had received this information in a letter dated today from the Cape York Land Council.
Mr Beattie said this was a very significant development.
Previously, the Land Council was wanting the Queensland Government to finalise tenure arrangements for Kalpower prior to negotiations commencing over access arrangements for the Vietnam Veterans to the Pandanus Block on Kalpower, Mr Beattie said.
This letter is significant in that the Land Council has now agreed to negotiate with the Vietnam Veterans prior to the final tenure arrangements for the property being announced by the Queensland Government.
This is a significant gesture of goodwill on the part of the traditional owners and I believe it should be received as such by the Vietnam veterans. It is most certainly endorsed by the Queensland Government and I extend my appreciation to the Land Council and the traditional owners for this gesture. (quote ends)
Mr Beattie has repeatedly assured the Vietnam Veterans that no action was planned to have them removed from the property and the Government would help facilitate any negotiations between them and the traditional owners.
Kalpower Station, located near Lakefield National Park, was purchased by the State Government in 1995.
For more than four years, the Veterans have used part of the Pandanus Park portion of the 900 sq kilometre property as a retreat.
Mr Beattie said the Government made an election commitment at the 2004 state election that it would move to resolve, in this term of government, tenure arrangements on unallocated state land in Cape York with particular relevance to indigenous and conservation issues.
The Kalpowar aggregation is one of a number of properties that fall within this commitment.
The Kalpowar property was acquired by the State as part of the Cape York Conservation Zone proposal and totals approximately 409,400 ha. The property is currently Unallocated State Land, subject to a Permit to Occupy held by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
The aggregation is subject to a native title claim which is currently in mediation.
Negotiations with representatives of the traditional owners are advanced but ongoing.
The primary objective has been to negotiate a tenure outcome consistent with the aspirations of the State and the Traditional Owners, with a view to partitioning the property between areas of national park and areas of Aboriginal freehold land.
The tenure resolution process followed in this case is not unusual and recently saw a resolution on another Cape York property, Marina Plains, in a similar manner.
26 October 2005 Media contact: 3224 4500
Premier Beattie's Ministerial Statement
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