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Central desert native title decision hailed

4 June 2008 - The Ngaanyatjarra people of Western Australia’s central desert have become the largest native title holders in Australia following the Federal Court’s recognition of the remainder of their traditional lands.

A consent determination was made in Perth yesterday recognising the Ngaanyatjarra People’s native title rights over 1429 sq km of reserves and unallocated land in the central desert.

The decision follows a consent determination made in 2005 which recognised their native title rights over most of their traditional land, concluding their native title claim lodged in 2004.

The Ngaanyatjarra people are now native title holders of 169,184 sq km of land and waters, the largest area in Australia where native title has been found to exist.

The National Native Title Tribunal said in a statement the decision recognised the Ngaanyatjarra People’s exclusive native title rights over most of the 1429 sq km area.

It said their non-exclusive rights have been recognised over the Warburton Range Stock Route.

“The Ngaanyatjarra People reached this outcome through negotiations with the State Government and the Shire of Laverton, which resulted in an agreement about their respective rights and interests. This agreement was ratified under law through today’s consent determination,” The National Native Title Tribunal report said.

National Native Title Tribunal member John Catlin congratulated the parties on negotiating an agreement that finalised the process of recognising the Ngaanyatjarra People’s native title rights and settled any issues associated with the future uses of the land.

He said 110 determinations have been made Australia-wide, 77 of which have found that native title exists.

The Goldfields Land and Sea Council chief executive Brian Wyatt said the decision created a precedent for other claims, including the Mantjinjaraa Ngalia claim in the north of the Goldfields.

“It’s a welcoming move for us because some of the people involved in that claim are also in a neighbouring claims right next door to it. We will be looking forward to the State continuing that goodwill across to that claim,” he said.

“There is no major activity out there by industry – like most areas they are all under exploration – but other than that the people are more keen to have that area determined and be acknowledged as the traditional owners of that area.

“At long last people should be native title holders, it’s as simple as that. It means anything that is to occur on any of their land, they will be at the table to talk about that.”

Source: The West

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