A recently elected state government has revealed it will continue the fight against a Native Title claim over a famed island tourist destination.
David Crisafulli’s LNP Queensland government, which was elected in October, has announced it will fight the most recent Native Title claim over Great Keppel-Woppa Island, which was also opposed by its Labor predecessor in office.
The Woppaburra people have lodged a claim for exclusive use of the 9sq/km island, including the former resort site and airstrip that was denied them because they were privately leased.
However, the resort site was abandoned by Tower Holdings in 2008 and its works had been left to decay until they were demolished in 2018 under the former Labor government, which canceled the lease after waiving nearly $900,000 in unpaid rent.
Having already been recognised in 2021 as the Native Title holders of 570sq/km of land and sea over Great Keppel-Woppa Island the traditional owners submitted a second native claim that includes the resort.
However, the LNP government said the resort site has been earmarked for redevelopment and will fight to keep it as Crown land.
A Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Regional and Rural Development spokesperson said the Native Tile claim has ‘already been ruled to have native title extinguished as part of a previous ruling’.
‘The Queensland Government will continue to challenge the claim regarding the extinguished areas,’ they told the Courier Mail.
‘Great Keppel Island has significant tourism potential, and job and business opportunities, however the immediate priority is to make the island safe.’
Woppaburra Saltwater Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Fred Saunders earlier this year said the Native Title claim had been motivated by concern over environmental impacts the rotting resort was creating.
He said the $30million tourism revival plan committed by the previous Labor government for the island would not be affected by the claim.
‘We are protective of our sacred areas and will maintain our cultural responsibilities, but the Woppaburra people are not about restriction, anti-development and locking up lands,’ he said.
‘We are about sustainable environmental approaches to safeguard the islands beauty to make it an attractive destination for all visitors’.
The government spokesperson said a clean up of the site will begin in the new year.
As part of it rejuvenation Pensar Construction Group has been awarded a $8.6million council contract to reconstruct the island’s outdated sewage treatment plant.