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Cooper Basin Oil and Gas Exploration Agreement
Date:	1 January 2005
Sub Category:	Future Act Agreement (Native Title Act)
Place:	Cooper Basin
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State/Country:	Queensland, Australia
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	The agreement is over an area of 1,960 square km in the Cooper Basin, part of the Wangkumarra's 54,459 sq km native title claim. This is an area of oil and gas deposits located in south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia.
Subject Matter:	Compensation \| Employment and Training \| Mining and Minerals \| Petroleum
Summary Information:
The Wangkumarra people have reached agreement with Beach Petroleum and the State of Queensland for the grant of an oil and gas exploration lease within the boundary of their native title claim in the south-west corner of Queensland. This agreement was reached in December 2005. The Wangkumarra people, as registered native title claimants, have the right to negotiate over proposed developments in their claim area under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). The agreement covers an area of 1,960 square kilometres, and provides cultural heritage protection, employment, training and certain financial benefits for the Wangkumarra people.
Detailed Information:
Negotiations for this agreement began in 2002, after notification was given of the Queensland Government's intention to grant an exploration lease. According to Hopey Epsworth, a Wangkumarra representative, the agreement will result in extra employment for the Wangkumarra people and is 'one of the best deals they've ever done in Queensland�it's giving our young people jobs and [protecting] the land'. He also believes that this agreement will serve as a 'benchmark for other deals'. The National Native Title Tribunal provided mediation assistance to the parties after a request from Beach Petroleum. Henry Paluszczuk, the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, commended the parties on following the 'duty of care' provisions of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (Qld) in the agreement.