Key Commitments for Apudthama National Park (CYPAL) Under the Indigenous Management Agreement
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Natural and Cultural Values
For thousands of years, the northern Cape York Peninsula has been home to Aboriginal people. These groups have been variously connected through language, marriage ties, and trade; and as warriors. They included seafarers who spent their lives in and out of outrigger canoes, gathering food and other resources from the seas, islands, mangroves, and lands of the northern Cape York Peninsula.
The arrival of European settlers in 1864, brought about great change for all the people. Language and tribal groupings broke down and were rearranged as previously hostile groups banded together in order to survive. These groups offered great resistance to the settlers.
The present Traditional Owners of the area are descendants of great warriors and have survived enormous change yet retain a strong cultural identity and connection to their Country.
The Apudthama National Park (CYPAL) was originally gazetted in stages and consolidated to form a large conservation area. Some vegetation communities within the aggregation are amongst the best examples of their vegetation class on the Cape York Peninsula. The area provides a habitat for many animal and plant species that are unique and endemic to the Cape York Peninsula.
Joint Management Framework
Indigenous Management Agreement (IMA) for the Apudthama National Park (CYPAL)
Protocols
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) & Regulations
Apudthama Ikaya Land Transfer Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA)
Future Management Instruments e.g. Management statements and plans etc.
State funding commitments under the IMA
Under the Indigenous Management Agreement (clause 16 IMA)
Parks Activity Agreement (PAA):$200,000 per annum for Park Works and Services
$20,000 per annum for on-country learning programs.
An additional $50,000 for on-country learning programs for the first three years of the IMA
Jointly determine Park Works and Services to be undertaken as per schedule 8 of the IMA
Insurance Obligations
Each party must have a Public Liability Policy of Insurance for an amount not less than $20 million (clause 22 IMA).
Park Management and Operations
Chief Executive’s commitments (Clause 4.4 (c) IMA)
Work with the IIAC to increase tourism opportunities in the NPs (CYPAL) and to encourage business and commercial opportunities for the IIAC.
Cross-cultural and Traditional Land Management Training (clause 4.4(e) IMA)
Ensure Department of Environment and Science staff represented by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) involved in the management of the NPs (CYPAL) undertake training.
Park Management Activities (clause 6 and schedules 4, 5 & 6 IMA)
Routine Activities (QPWS can do routinely).
Procedural Activities (IIAC - opportunity to comment).
Significant Activities (IIAC written consent required).
Protocols (clauses 6.15 – 6.17, and 12.6 IMA and clause 5 of the Permit to Take, Use, Keep or Interfere (PTUKI) Protocol)
PTUKI Protocol
Fire Management Protocol (need to develop).
Pest Management Protocol (need to develop).
Other Protocols when required.
Notifying – New Permits (clauses 6.12 – 6.13 IMA)
20 business days' notice for most types of permits.
Employment and Training (clause 10 IMA)
Consultation about and participation in some recruitment processes for QPWS positions (clause 10.6).
Training opportunities for IIAC Rangers.
Develop and deliver cross-cultural and traditional land management training for QPWS staff
Management Instrument (clause 11 IMA)
Identify natural and cultural values of Apudthama National Park (CYPAL) and threats to those values and to park visitors, and strategies to mitigate those threats.
May prepare a Protocol for Interim Management.
Prepare a Project Plan outlining process to prepare a Management Statement or a Management Plan.
Infrastructure (clause 12 & schedules 4, 5, 6 & 9 IMA)
Infrastructure maintenance is Routine.
Basic Infrastructure (schedule 9) is Procedural.
QPWS must give IIAC opportunity to comment on site assessment and plan for listed infrastructure projects.
Other infrastructure is Significant (IIAC consent needed).
Tourism Opportunities (clause 13 IMA)
QPWS&P and IIAC support the Atambaya Aboriginal Corporation’s aspiration to conduct and ecotourism business within the Ecotourism Area between Fruit Bat Falls and Eliot Falls.
The parties will work together to increase tourism opportunities in Apudthama National Park (CYPAL).
Operations (clause 15 IMA)
QPWS and IIAC to meet no later than 30 September each year to share data and discuss the management of the Apudthama National Park (CYPAL) and future expenditure.
Joint Management Meetings (clause 15 IMA)
Four meetings each year held at Bamaga or Cairns, or another agreed location, or by teleconference, as agreed by the parties.
Carbon Abatement & Sequestration (clause 17 IMA)
IIAC can implement offset projects on national park.
Benefits to support IIAC initiatives.
Biodiversity or biodiscovery benefits (clause 18 IMA)
The State and IIAC will consider opportunities for biodiversity offsets and sharing of benefits from biodiscovery as they arise.
Contracts for works on national park (CYPAL) (clause 19 IMA)
First option to IIAC for most types of contracts.
IIAC may submit fee offer in association with one or more other entities e.g. joint venture or sub-contract.
Tenure Outcome:
A total of 362,100 hectares consisting of Aboriginal freehold land and national park CYPAL
6,704 hectares of Aboriginal freehold land transferred to the Ipima Ikaya Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC
36,096 hectares of Aboriginal freehold land transferred to the Atambaya Aboriginal Corporation
319, 300 hectares of national park (CYPAL): Apudthama (319, 230 ha) and Yamarrinh Wachangan Islands (Denham Group) (70 ha) National Parks (CYPAL)
