Hi Grumpster, thanks for sharing some excellent research. I'm happy for the negotiations to plod along in the background as we go ahead exploring our granted permits. The negotiations are for land access to get us to the resources within the permits...I'm sure we'll eventually work a way around (literally) the areas that we're not welcome (understandably imo).
From p.11 & p.12... http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/87925/02-overview.pdf
"Land access approvals are required prior to the undertaking of onshore petroleum exploration, and production and construction of onshore pipelines and onshore facilities. While there are no native title rights to minerals, petroleum or gas, land access must in many cases be negotiated with Indigenous people.
Under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cwlth) there are two main avenues to deal with ‘future act’ (project) applications — the ‘right to negotiate’ (RTN) procedure and Indigenous land use agreements (ILUAs). The suitability of using the RTN procedure (which applies to a particular future act) or an ILUA (which applies to the use and management of an area of land) depends upon the circumstances.
There is evidence of delays in the processing by State Governments of future act applications through the RTN procedure. The RTN procedure can also take longer if parties cannot reach agreement and the National Native Title Tribunal is asked to arbitrate and determine the outcome of an application.
ILUAs provide a flexible alternative to negotiating land access approvals. They appear to have the potential to streamline the approval process, reduce the resources required for successive negotiations, take less time, and reduce costs in the long run for some large, complex projects, or where there are likely to be many future act applications in one area. Such agreements have been used successfully in South Australia. Governments should investigate whether greater use of such agreements is feasible, particularly as reducing unnecessary processing delays should lead to better outcomes for all parties." Ends.
