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Telstra Stephen Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA)
Date:	28 June 2005
Sub Category:	Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) (Native Title Act)
Place:	Torres Strait
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State/Country:	Queensland, Australia
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	The ILUA is located at Ugar Island, in the Torres Strait. This area is governed by the Ugar Island Council and the Torres Strait Regional Authority. The ILUA area covers all the land and waters on Ugar Island up to the high water mark.
Legal Status:	Registered with the National Native Title Tribunal
Legal Reference:	National Native Title Tribunal File No.: QI2004/06
Alternative Names:	Telstra Stephen Agreement
Subject Matter:	Future Act \| \| Land Use \| Native Title \| Recognition of Native Title or Traditional Ownership \| Recognition of Traditional Rights and Interests
Summary Information:
The Telstra Stephen Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) was signed to ensure the provision of telecommunication services in the Ugar native title determination area. The ILUA provides for certain future acts to ensure that telecommunications infrastructure can be maintained and improved in the future. The agreement is made between telecommunications provider Telstra Corporation Limited and Napau Pedro Stephen and the Ugar native title holders' native title body corporate (NTBC) Ugar Kem Le Ged Zeuber Er Kep Le (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation. A determination that native title exists in the area of the Ugar native title claim (National Native Title Tribunal file no.:QC96/61) was made previously in May 2005. The Telstra Stephen ILUA is one of five ILUAs signed to allow for the continued provision of telecommunication services in areas of the Torres Strait where native title has been recognised.
Detailed Information:
Under this 35 year agreement, the parties agree to the doing of certain 'future acts'. These include: - the grant of a lease by the Ugar Island Council to Telstra in respect of certain sites, including the renewal of that lease; - Telstra undertaking activities or constructing facilities in the future on existing sites in the usual course of business; - the construction of a future telecommunications facility; and - the grant of an Occupancy Agreement in connection with future constructions, including its renewal. Where Telstra proposes construction of a future telecommunications facility or an Occupancy Agreement, certain notification and consultation procedures must be followed. Additionally, Telstra must be subject to a universal service obligation with respect to the Torres Strait or be acting for the benefit of the Torres Strait Islander Community. Without this agreement, the actions of Telstra would have been invalid and the right to negotiate provisions of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) would apply. Under this Act any activity, such as a grant of land, that may affect native title rights is defined as a 'future act' and must comply with the future act provisions of the act in order to be valid.