| Investing time and resources in a Queensland native title claim has reaped results for all involved as the Kowanyama People expect to be recognised today as native title holders of 2,731sq km of land and waters in south-western Cape York.
This morning at Kowanyama, 460km north-west of Cairns, Justice Andrew Greenwood of the Federal Court of Australia is scheduled to make a consent determination recognising the Kowanyama People’s exclusive native title rights over 2,518sq km of Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) land and their non-exclusive rights over 213sq km of sea, beach and tidal areas.
The outcome will acknowledge that the Kowanyama People’s native title has always existed, and continues to exist, under their traditional laws and customs. Their right to possess, occupy, use and enjoy the DOGIT land exclusively, and also to hunt, fish, gather, use water and traditional natural resources, light fires and protect significant places on the rest of the determination area will be confirmed by the Court.
The consent determination will settle Part A of the Kowanyama People’s 19,800sq km native title claim. Parts B and C of the group’s three-stage approach to native title recognition are yet to be settled.
National Native Title Tribunal Member Graham Fletcher, who mediated between the parties, said the outcome demonstrated what could be achieved when parties decided to make it a priority to settle a native title claim through negotiations.
“Due to the parties’ willingness to put time and resources into this claim and focus on settling native title through agreement, negotiations were fast-tracked this year, following release of the Attorney-General’s communiqué in August 2008,” he said.
“Having successfully settled the first part of the claim, the Kowanyama People and other parties are in a good position to continue negotiations and settle native title and tenure issues over the next two stages of the claim area.”
Pronounce: Cow-ann-yar-ma |