The effect of the amending legislation is to bring into Schedule 1 of the Land Rights Act four areas of land that were the subject of the Upper Daly (Repeat) Land Claim. The area to be scheduled under the amending legislation covers approximately 110,000 hectares. This land, located approximately 250 kilometres south-west of Darwin, close to Pine Creek, was the subject of an agreement between the Northern Territory Government, the Northern Land Council and the native title claimants. The agreement was entered into in November 1999 and finalised in February 2002 subsequent to discussions regarding native title, the granting of other titles to the Northern Territory Government and the making of a lease-back agreement relating to the Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park Reserve.
In addition, the amendments bring within Schedule 1 of the Land Rights Act a single block of land located approximately 40 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The title to this land will be granted to the Harry Creek East community. This is as a result of the Federal Government's decision to provide funding to enable the construction of the Darwin to Alice Springs Railway. The project will render the community's current land unfit for community purposes. The 450 hectares of vacant crown land will be granted to the Arnapipe Aboriginal Land Trust on behalf of the members of the community at the request of the Central Land Council.
The scheduling of these parcels of land provides fee simple title. |