The Australian Conservation Foundation today welcomed the Palaszczuk Government’s support for protecting Cape York Peninsula’s natural and cultural values with a $29.6 million increased funding commitment to continue to resolve Cape York’s land tenure.
The Australian Conservation Foundation today welcomed the Palaszczuk Government’s support for protecting Cape York Peninsula’s natural and cultural values with a $29.6 million increased funding commitment to continue to resolve Cape York’s land tenure.
Under a unique initiative known as the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program, almost all state land including national parks, timber reserves and resource areas have been handed back to Aboriginal ownership.
In addition, governments have acquired key pastoral stations in the region’s most biologically significant and culturally important landscapes and, after negotiating conservation outcomes, these too are divested back to Traditional Owners.
“Budget commitments to Cape York’s tenure resolution program are a welcome investment,” said ACF’s Northern Australia Program Officer Andrew Picone.
“The Cape York tenure resolution program delivers social, cultural, economic, employment and environmental outcomes.
“These Aboriginal owned national parks protect some of the most unique and diverse landscapes on Cape York Peninsula and provide new economic opportunities like tourism and storing carbon in the landscape.
“ACF looks forward to the Palaszczuk government’s continued commitment to the process on Cape York and the resolution of the remaining properties, including the iconic Shelburne Bay,” Mr Picone said.
Under the Land Tenure program, 3,225,000 hectares of Cape York Peninsula has been returned to Aboriginal ownership, nearly two million hectares of which has become jointly managed and Aboriginal owned national parks.
An additional $2.2 million is also provided to advance World Heritage nominations for Cape York and The Great Sandy Region (adjacent to Fraser Island) in consultation with Traditional Owners.
