The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley and the Consolidated Pastoral Company have reached an agreement to upgrade a road, triggering the conversion of 16,000 hectares of pastoral land to freehold in the next step to expand the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley and the Consolidated Pastoral Company have reached an agreement to upgrade a road, triggering the conversion of 16,000 hectares of pastoral land to freehold in the next step to expand the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
The new freehold black soil land along the banks of the Ord River is to be retained by CPC and may offer large scale irrigation potential.
Putting it into context, the current irrigated area in the Ord is just 14,000 hectares so this is a positive step forward in terms of the potential irrigable land area of the Ord Valley.
The state government brokered the agreement and will use $360,000 of previously budgeted funds to upgrade the road.
To complete the agreement CPC will pay the state just over $1 million.
Full announcement below:
Ord expansion takes a step forward
Portfolio: Regional Development
The Liberal-National Government's commitment to expanding the much awaited Ord River Irrigation Scheme has taken another step forward with the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley and the Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) reaching an agreement to upgrade a road, triggering the conversion of 16,000 hectares of pastoral land to freehold.
The new freehold black soil land along the banks of the Ord River is to be retained by CPC and may offer large scale irrigation potential.
The signing of the agreement sees CPC relinquish 165,000 hectares of land within their Carlton Hill and Ivanhoe pastoral leases for six new conservation reserves to be managed by the Miriuwung Gajerrong people as native title owners.
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said the State Government had brokered the agreement and would use $360,000 of previously budgeted funds to upgrade the road.
To complete the agreement CPC will pay the State $1,039,000.
Mr Grylls said the deal was a significant milestone in the roll out of the Ord Final Agreement struck in 2005. The ceremonial signing was the final resolution to allow the extinguishment of native title under the Ord Final Agreement and will allow the progression of the Ord Expansion Project
"I am delighted to see that the way has been cleared to release 16,000 hectares of freehold land to CPC and the establishment of the conservation reserves for Miriuwung Gajerrong," he said.
"To put that in context, the current irrigated area in the Ord is just 14,000 hectares, so this is a very substantial step forward in terms of the potential irrigable land area of the Ord Valley.
"The Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation and the Department of Environment and Conservation have already collaborated on a traineeship ranger program in which eight Miriuwung Gajerrong people are being trained as rangers to assist in the management of the new conservation reserves.
"The balance between the new development and the conservation of the region is built into the Ord Final Agreement and the signing of the agreement today is a major step forward for the State Government's promise to expand the Ord Irrigation Area."
