Session 09-05: Effectively strengthening indigenous rights HISTORIC TENURE CERTAINTY PROJECT – A TOOL FOR SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE, SHARING THE FUTURE RAELENE.

Session 09-05: Effectively strengthening indigenous rights 

HISTORIC TENURE CERTAINTY PROJECT – A TOOL FOR SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE, SHARING THE FUTURE

RAELENE WEBB QCPresident, National Native Title Tribunal

Australiaraelene.webb@nntt.gov.au

Prepared for presentation at the “2015 WORLD BANK CONFERENCE ON LAND AND POVERTY”

The World Bank – Washington DC, March 23-27, 2015

Pre 1788

1788

1825

1829

1993

19932015

Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)s 223(1)

The expression native title or native title rights and interests means the communal, group or individual rights and interests of Aboriginal peoples or Torres Strait Islanders in relation to land or waters, where:

(a) the rights and interests are possessed under the traditional laws acknowledged, and the traditional customs observed, by the Aboriginal peoples or Torres Strait Islanders; and

(b) the Aboriginal peoples or Torres Strait Islanders, by those laws and customs, have a connection with the land or waters; and

(c) the rights and interests are recognised by the common law of Australia.

Traditional Connection

Under the traditional laws and customs of the group of indigenous people claiming native title, are their claimed rights and interests based on their traditional connection to the claimed area? 

Extinguishment

Is “recognition” refused because of actions the government has taken, or allowed others to do, over a particular areas that are inconsistent with native title? 

Prohibition on making native title claims

31 December 2014

263 native title determinations made

• 33 litigated

• 230 by agreement 

31 December 2014

328 Current claimant applications • < 5 years - 115 (35%) 

• 5-10 years - 40 (12%) 

• 10 - 15 years - 105 (32%) 

• > 15 years - 68 (21%)

19932015

Potential native title extinguishment by current tenure type

Kooma People #4 

Current Titles

Meeting Place(Web based GIS)

Property boundaries

Digital CadastralDatabases

Historical TenureInstruments

Historical TenureDatabases

Stories(Content Providers)

Conversations(Collaboration Services)

Knowledge(Decision Products)

Agreements

Project focus‘Gather stories to 

support Agreements’

Peter Yu

A series of maps based on traditional indigenous knowledge, Western science and official data would be overlaid as comprehensive database of cultural, social, historical and environmental evidence that could form an important element of a postcolonial relationship. These maps should be fundamental to future regional planning and development methodologies.