Background
In response to ongoing public safety issues at Coopers Island causeway, the Department undertook a detailed investigation into the historical land status and sought advice from the Crown Solicitor’s Office (CSO) regarding ownership.
The CSO advice confirmed that the causeway, and the land to which it is affixed, is not Crown land for the purposes of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (the CLM Act).
Findings
A survey commissioned by the Department to plot the location of the causeway in relation to Coopers Island Road and private property boundaries confirmed there is no public access to Bowns Creek.
Final determination
The Department considers that the CSO advice is definitive and maintains its final position that Coopers Island causeway is not Crown land.