Assignment of Cape York Peninsula Heritage Area water licences

The Cape York water plan reserves water to support the economic and social needs of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

Water in the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Area (CYPHA) reserve can be accessed by eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entities through the issue of a CYPHA water licence.

A CYPHA water licence can be held by an ‘eligible person’, defined as:

  • an entity that holds Aboriginal freehold land such as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation or a land trust
  • or
  • a native title holder such as a registered native title body corporate (RNTBC).

Holders of a CYPHA water licence can use the licence for their own projects. They are also able to enter into agreements to assign part or all of the water to other interested water users.

This page explains how to get in touch with CYPHA water licence holders and the assignment process.

How much water is available?

The volume of the water in the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Area (CYPHA) reserve is shown in Table 1 below.

The volume of water in each catchment that is held in the CYPHA reserve is allocated to eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons based on the proportion of land interests they have in that catchment.

Table 1. CYPHA reserve by catchment

Catchment Volume of CYPHA reserve (megalitres)

Archer

89,000

Coleman

56,000

Ducie

46,000

Embley

8,000

Endeavour

16,000

Holroyd

68,500

Jacky Jacky

1,500

Jardine

49,000

Jeannie

0

Lockhart

6,300

Normanby

16,000

Olive–Pascoe

48,000

Stewart

5,000

Watson

0

Wenlock

76,000

Total

485,300

Assignment process

An existing CYPHA licence holder will need to apply to amend their licence to allow for the assignment. The application will need to include sufficient information so that the application can be assessed against the rules in the Cape York water plan.

An eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entity which does not yet hold a licence can request a licence at any time. Once the licence is granted they can then apply for an assignment to another person or entity.

Find out more about the CYPHA water licence assignment process.

CYPHA water licences can only be assigned in the same catchment and only for an agreed period. CYPHA water licences cannot be permanently traded.

Finding an existing licence holder

To find an existing licence holder you can:

  • Use the water entitlement viewer to view existing CYPHA water licences.
  • Talk to local water brokers, real estate agents or solicitors.

Finding an eligible person

To contact eligible persons you can:

Contact us

For more information about CYPHA water licences contact:

Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water
Phone: (07) 4017 0140

Email: waterinfonorth@rdmw.qld.gov.au
28 Peters Street
Mareeba  QLD  4880

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