NT: Historic native title agreement signed in Alice Springs

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2004
NT: Historic native title agreement signed in Alice Springs

By Karen Michelmore

DARWIN, April 22 AAP - An historic native title agreement was signed today to free
up land for urban development around Alice Springs.

In an Australian first, about 20 hectares of native title land in the Larapinta Valley,
in Alice Springs, has been freed-up for urban residential development.

It is the first development land in the outback town for more than a decade.

Alice Springs, which is "landlocked" by native title land, had run out of residential
land for development and house prices had skyrocketed.

The agreement was signed between the Northern Territory government and the Lhere Artepe
Aboriginal Corporation at a ceremony in Alice Springs today.

About 60 lots of residential land will be developed under the deal, which grants traditional
owners a free development lease on half the land in exchange for the surrender of their
native title rights.

Central Australia Minister Peter Toyne said the agreement marked a new era in development
for Alice Springs, and paved the way for stable, secure land releases.

"This is the first Indigenous Land Use Agreement to be negotiated over municipal land
in Australia and will set a precedent for other agreements around the country," Dr Toyne
said.

"At times it hasn't been easy, either for the government or Lhere Artepe, but together
we have shown that is way that gets the job down."

Lhere Artepe will have three months to sign the development lease and begin construction
on its part of the subdivision.

If work had not started in three months, the government would move to develop its half
of the land.

Dr Toyne said other future land releases were being discussed.

"Initial discussions have already taken place about the release of residential land
in the Mt John Valley," he said.

"The Larapinta negotiation process gave us a framework to work with for future land
releases and Alice Springs will no longer be trapped in a land cocoon."

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KEYWORD: LARAPINTA

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