Tjupan people seek recognition of land in the north-west Goldfields region
| 01/12/2004 |
The National Native Title Tribunal is advertising a native title claimant application in Western Australia's Goldfields region so that people with interests in the area may have an opportunity to participate in talks about the application.
The native title applicants are seeking legal recognition of their native title rights and interests over an area of about 30,640 square kilometres in the north-west Goldfields region, south of Wiluna, which extends to an area south of Leinster and west to Sandstone.
The native title claim, made by the Tjupan people, falls within the Leonora, Sandstone and Wiluna Shire Councils and in the Ngaanyatjarra Land Council, Yamatji Land and Sea Council and Goldfields Land and Sea Council regions. The Goldfields Land and Sea Council is representing the claimants.
The native title applicants have asked for their traditional rights and interests to be recognised over the claim area. However, not all land and waters within the external boundary may be claimed, for example, the application excludes private freehold land within that boundary.
Tjupan 2 is currently programmed for trial by the Federal Court along with a number of other applications in the north-west Goldfields region. Any person or body that has an interest in the Tjupan 2 claim area will become a party to the trial proceedings should they choose to join as a respondent as a result of this notification. These hearings are scheduled to commence in December 2005.
It is anticipated that the key groups that may have interests in the claimed areas would be those with exploration, mining, pastoral and government interests.
The Native Title Registrar has not accepted this application for registration. Although this application has not been registered, it may still proceed to mediation in the Tribunal and / or determination in the Federal Court.
Any person who thinks they may have an interest in the claim has until 14 March 2005 to apply to the District Registrar of the Federal Court to become a party to the application.
Further information about the claim and how to become a party is available from the NNTT on freecall 1800 640 501.
 Map and information
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| Lauren Heinritz |
| 08 9268 7466 |
| 0417 944 809 |
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