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Loddon HERALD Vol 2 No 47 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2022 ISSN 2653-1550
SPECIAL REPORT
AP PHOTO
ABORIGINAL CORPORATION IMPASSE ON TOWN PROTECTION WORK
DJAARA LEVEE BLOCK
CONSTRUCTION of a flood levee bank at Boort has been delayed three years by negotiations with theBendigo-based Aboriginal corporation DJAARA.
Talks on a small strip of land beside Lake Boort and the compensation Loddon Shire Council will pay DJARRA to use the land has stymied stage two of flood mitigation works. Council’s operations director Steven Phillips said: “At a suitable time council will re-engage with Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria to continue discussions to see if an agreement can be reached.” The roadblock to completion of $500,000 mitigation works funded by a 2016-2017 grant meant a bill in the tens of thousands of dollars to protect the town during October’s flood emergency and hundreds of volunteer hours manning pumps and safeguarding homes. Mr Phillips confirmed the State Government’s land use approval
By CHRIS EARL
process required agreements to be reached between DJAARA, council and Parks Victoria. Negotiations with DJAARA include “whether and how much community benefits are paid” to the corporation under the 2013 State Government land use activity agreement. According to government online information, the council also pays DJAARA’s costs during talks and negotiations. The formula for community benefit is a percentage of rent or value of land, believed to be about $4000 for a strip along Lake Boort near Ring Road. However, a 2019 High Court judgement pegging native title compensation to commercial development values has possibly raised the stakes at Boort. The ruling in a case brought by a Northern Territory claim at Timber Creek put compensation for the loss of the non-exclusive native title rights at 50 per cent of the freehold value.
Our pools a cool place to be THE first real taste summer at the weekend had youngsters and families cooling off in swimming pools across the Loddon. With the mercury hitting the low 30s by Saturday afternoon, Steph Guy happily paddled in the Inglewood pool with daughter Izzy and son Reuben (above) while the heat certainly didn’t zap energy levels of Tia Keats, Ciara and Xavier McLean (left). Belgravia Leisure seasonal pools manager Kai Nielsen said: “It was our first real welcome back to summer weekend.”
AP PHOTO
SEE STORY - PAGE 2
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