GIBSON DESERT NATURE
RESERVE — NATIVE TITLE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
909. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's historic native title settlement agreement with the
traditional owners of the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve. Can the minister
outline to the house what this agreement means for the Aboriginal people in the
Gibson Desert region, including the economic, social and cultural benefits it
will deliver for Aboriginal communities in the area?
Mr B.S.
WYATT replied:
I thank the member for Swan Hills
for that very good question.
In Western Australia, 75 per cent of
our state is now covered by native title. We are the native title state, more
than any other state in Australia. Indeed,
on 28 October I was delighted, with the Minister for Environment, Stephen
Dawson, to travel back out to the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve at Mina
Mina springs to sign this agreement, which has been three years in the making
for this government, but over 20 years in the making for the Gibson Desert
people.
Under
this agreement, the Gibson Desert has been renamed the Pila Nature Reserve—the
traditional Aboriginal name that describes the landscape, being the flat
plains of that desert region. For some, this is quite a historic agreement, because we are dealing with people who really came
into contact with non-Indigenous Australians only in the 1970s. These
people were moved off country when nuclear bombs were being tested in the
middle of the desert. They were effectively moved around by the Australian
government at the time. However, because of the operation of native title law,
the creation of the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve in 1977, without consultation
with traditional owners, extinguished native title. We have tried to address
this clear inequity for a long time. We have created a jointly managed reserve
between the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the
traditional owners.
The reserve covers approximately 18 900
square kilometres in central WA and will be the largest jointly managed reserve
in Western Australia. Importantly, it will also cover a range of infrastructure
upgrades as well—roads and community infrastructure at Patjarr,
primarily. There will be a ranger base there, and rangers will be funded, of
course, as part of the agreement.
The
traditional owners have fought for a long time for this recognition. The
settlement package, because we are also resolving compensation around
native title, sets aside $7.5 million to support these joint-management
activities around ranger work, training and work opportunities at Patjarr
mainly, but also in Warburton and some surrounding communities. That is significant. All members in this place are probably
familiar with the blown glass window in the Aboriginal People's
Room. That was done by the people from Pila Nature Reserve. There has been long
connection between this Parliament and these
traditional owners. Decisions made in the 1970s wiped out the opportunity for
native title. Of course, over the last three years, the McGowan
government has worked hard to try to resolve this issue. It was an emotional
ceremony and an emotional agreement. It is one that I am delighted we have
managed to pull together and resolve in the last three years. I want to
congratulate the traditional owners of the Pila Nature Reserve.