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Arakwal State Recreation Area Agreement
Date:	3 April 1997
Sub Category:	Memorandum of Understanding
Place:	Byron Bay
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State/Country:	New South Wales, Australia
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Subject Matter:	Access \| Cultural Heritage \| Economic Development \| Environmental Heritage \| Land Use \| Native Title
Summary Information:
Twelve months of negotiations between the Arakwal people, the New South Wales State Government and the Byron Bay Shire resulted in an agreement over a new recreation area in the popular tourist area of Byron Bay.
Detailed Information:
Arakwal sisters Lorna Kelly, Linda Vidler and Yvonne Graham secured a say in the management of the new park when the agreement was signed on 3 April 1997. As proclaimed by the then New South Wales Environment Minister Pam Allen and Minister for Land and Water Conservation Kim Yeadon, the agreement provides that the Arakwal People have a say in the management of the new State Recreation Area at Byron Bay. In addition to the agreement with the State to recognise the interests of the Arakwal in the recreation area, the Arakwal have endorsed principles to underpin an agreement with Byron Shire Council. As a result of the agreement the Arakwal will have a position on the Trust set up to manage the new park and their traditional rights and interests in the area will be respected. At the time the Arakwal endeavoured to enter the next stage of negotiations aimed at setting up an interpretive centre to attract cultural tourism to Byron Bay. This agreement follows on from another reached in 1997 between the Arakwal people and the Byron Shire Council with the Shire recognising the Arakwal as the traditional owners of the region. The agreement also precedes the 2001 Native Title Consent Determination involving the Arakwal People of the Bunjalung Nation and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, NSW Minister for Land and Water Conservation and Telstra Limited (FC: NG6088/98; NNTT: NC97/36), and the 2001 Arakwal Indigenous Land Use Agreement.