Eastern Kuku Yalanji ILUAs

The Eastern Kuku Yalanji people celebrated an historic agreement on 9 December 2007 to cooperatively manage their traditional lands. The Federal Court determination was made by Justice Allsop at a special sitting near Cape Tribulation. The Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) cover much of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area from Mossman north to the Daintree and the Bloomfield River catchments.

The agreements recognise the native title rights of the Kuku Yalanji people. They provide for Aboriginal land ownership and living areas, conservation areas, extended national parks, public access to designated tourist sites, some grazing areas and restrictions on the hunting of rare and threatened species.

The original native title claim was over 144,000 hectares and was lodged 13 years ago. The Court determination gives the native title holders rights to exclusively occupy and use 30,300ha of state-owned land. It also recognises non-exclusive rights over 96,600ha, including the right to camp, hunt, gather resources for personal needs and conduct ceremonies. The native title holders will have non-exclusive rights to the water and to fish and hunt in the water. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji people will have ownership of 16,500ha of Aboriginal freehold land for residential and economic development.

The Wet Tropics Management Authority will be working with the Kuku Yalanji people over the coming years on community development plans within the World Heritage Area.

You can read more in the Queensland Government media release.

You can read more in the National Native Title Tribunal brochure.

You can see the area covered by the agreement in the location map.

You can see the agreed tenures and land uses on the tenure and land use map.

Thanks to the National Native Title Tribunal for some of this information. For comprehensive information about Native Title and Indigenous Land Use Ageements, visit the National Native Title Tribunal website.