NATIVE TITLE —
GNARALOO STATION
709. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the minister representing the
Minister for Lands:
I refer to recent media reports
which suggest that the government has failed to uphold its end of an agreement
with the pastoralist on Gnaraloo station.
(1) Does the
minister concede that if native title over the area was extinguished, the
agreement would be easier for the government to comply with?
(2) Will the minister agree to meet
with the pastoralist in person in order to discuss the matter?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Lands.
(1) The state
government's commitments under the 2004 pastoral exclusion agreement
with the lessee of Gnaraloo station do not require the extinguishment of native
title. The state has reached agreement with the Nganhurra Thanardi Garrbu
Aboriginal Corporation, the native title holder, for two Indigenous land use
agreements to enable the grant of tenure on the basis that native title is not
extinguished.
(2) A meeting
would not be appropriate at this stage, as the pastoralist has a current
application before the Federal Court involving the minister.