Iama Infrastructure and Housing Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA)

Torres Strait

Registered with the National Native Title Tribunal on the Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements on 1 December 2020. This is an authorised body corporate agreement under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth).

The Iama Infrastructure and Housing Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) was agreed, under the provisions of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), between:

• the State of Queensland, acting through the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships;
• the Magani Lagaugal (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation Registered Native Title Body Corporate (RNTBC);
• the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC); and
• the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA).

The purpose of the ILUA is to allow the State of Queensland and the TSIRC to undertake major infrastucture projects in the ILUA area, including the development of housing, home ownership, and the continuance of local government service provision.

The Native Title Representative Body for this area is the Torres Strait Island Regional Authority.

Details of the Agreement

Commencement and Termination

The ILUA is binding from the date when signed by all the parties. It has effect as an ILUA and in relation to the agreed future acts from its registration date.

The ILUA continues indefinitely, but may terminated at any time by the written agreement of the parties.

Native Title Provisions

Right to negotiate

The parties agree that the right to negotiate provisions of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (NTA) do not apply to the ILUA.

Extinguishment

The parties agree that the non-extinguishment principle applies. This means that under s 24EB(3) of the NTA any of the activities authorised under the ILUA which may be inconsistent with native title rights and interests do not extinguish these rights and interests, instead they are revived when the activities finish.

Future act provisions

Subject to the issuing of consent certificates and notice, the parties agree that the TSIRC, the State of Queensland, TSIRC jointly with the State, or any person who the RNTBC nominates (in writing) are to undertake five classes of future acts as follows:

• Class 1 MIP Future Acts - funded through the joint State and Commonwealth program known as the Major Infrastructure Program and/or its successors. These acts involve the permit, construction, operation, use, maintenance or repair of an infrastructure facility in a project area of up to 30,000 sq m, but not in an Ancilliary Project Area. An Ancilliary Project Area is an area shown on a Project Plan  and is an area with an access route to the Class 1 MIP or CLass 2 Non-MIP Future Acts are carried out, or where ancilliary infrastucture is place to service Class 1 MIP or CLass 2 Non-MIP Future Acts, or any other area which the TSIRC, the State, the TSIRC and the RNTBC agree is an Ancilliary Project Area;
• Class 2 Non-MIP Future Acts - acts, other than the other classes of acts, undertaoken in a project area of 30,000 sq m, or in an ancilliary area that involve the permit, construction, operation, use, maintenance or repair of an ingfrastructure facility. These acts do not involve the the grant of freehold title;
• Class 3 Housing - Home Ownership Future Acts - acts undertaken in a project area of up to 30,000 sq m and involve the grant of one or more leases for a term of more than 30 years, but not more than 99 years, for private residential purposes;
• Class 4 Housing - Renovation ACts - acts undertaken in a project area up to 30,000 sq m and involve the maintenance, repair, renovation, refurbishment or extension of one or more dwelling houses that are Social Houses or houses that have been part of a project innvolving Class 3 Housing - Home Ownership Future Acts;
• Class 5 Transfer-Related Future Area Future Acts -acts in a project area of any size (within the ILUA area) that permit, require or consist of the construction, operation, use, maintenance or repair of one or more Infrastructure Facitility in connection with a proposed grant of transferable land in freehold to the RNTBC under the Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991 (Qld). The purpose being to ensure that the TSIRC can continue to provide local government services to communities on the land after it is transferred.

The parties also consent to the validating of any of the above future acts that would otherwise be in conflict with the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) if done prior to the registration date of the ILUA or after an Initial Project Notice has been given but prior to the RNTBC giving a consent certificate.

Native Title in the Agreement Area

The ILUA area is within the area of the native title determination David on behalf of the Iama People and Tudalaig v State of Queensland [2004] FCA 1576 (FCA file no.: QUD6052/1998; NNTT file no.: QCD6052/1998).

Related Entries

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