Defence strikes deals
THE Defence Department has reached an agreement with three Native Title holders over the Greenvale Training Area.
Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) have been registered for the Gudjala, Gugu Badhun and Ewamian Indigenous peoples for use of the land by the Department of Defence as part of the Australian Singapore Military Training Initiative.
In 2019 it was revealed the Commonwealth government had spent more than $70m acquiring grazing properties in the area to the west of the Gregory Developmental Road and Greenvale township for the purpose of establishing the training base.
The new land use agreements came into effect from December last year and will allow for military training initiatives, including the construction and operation of live fire, simulated and manoeuvre training on the area.
There will be a camp, accommodation, fencing, quarrying, roads, landing and embarkation grounds and other training facilities set up.
A spokesman for the Department of Defence confirmed ILUAS had been established with the three North Queensland Traditional Owners groups.
“These agreements represent an important milestone in the establishment of to happen a new advanced military training area at Greenvale,” he said. “They will enable Defence to use the new training area and signal a strengthening of the relationship between Defence and local Indigenous communities.
“Defence is working in partnership with the three Traditional Owner groups to ensure that any cultural heritage sites are identified and appropriately managed and protected as part of its development and use of the training area.” The spokesman said Defence does not comment on individual cultural sites.
The ILUAS cover an area of approximately 3275sq km, while the existing Townsville Field Training Area located 60km southwest of Townsville is on more than 2000sq km.
In October 2020, CPB Contractors was awarded the $23.5m contract for the Greenvale Training Area planning phase. CPB will deliver around $800m worth of facilities by the end of 2027.