A recognition of native title rights announced today will hand the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people in far north Queensland a major role in managing 126,900 hectares in the Daintree.

The consent determination made by the Federal Court of Australia at a special sitting at Cape Tribulation recognises the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people’s native title over land and waters between Port Douglas and Cooktown.
The original native title claim was over 144,000 hectares and was lodged 13 years ago.

Today’s agreement 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.

National Native Title Tribunal member Graham Fletcher said today was the culmination of negotiations over a complex range of land tenure issues in the Daintree World Heritage area.

“From now on the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people will be able to exercise their native title rights under their traditional laws and customs,” Mr Fletcher said.

“They will also experience a whole range of benefits negotiated under the broader indigenous land use package that will start to flow through.”

The benefits include a greater role in managing parks and reserves and the doubling of the national park estate between Cooktown and Mossman.

In April, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people signed 15 indigenous land use agreements with local councils, graziers and private companies and the Wet Tropics Management Authority.