Tribunal seeks talks with WA Government 

National Native Title Tribunal President Justice Robert French today said the Tribunal would seek talks with the State Government early in the New Year to explore ways to reach agreements on Western Australia's most promising native title applications.

Justice French said the Government's decision to operate under Federal native title laws rather than a State regime, at least for the time being, offered an opportunity to devote more attention to achieving mediated outcomes.

"Agreed determinations or other agreements about native title are important steps in addressing the uncertainty which is of real concern to Government and industry," he said.

"The State's concerns about the Federal legislation are well known, and the Tribunal is willing to work with the WA Government to explore ways to make the process work better in order to achieve some early results.

"To this end, I will be proposing to the State Government that it meets with key Tribunal officials, including the incoming President Graeme Neate, to draw up a plan of action for 1999.

"Achievement of some agreed determinations of native title in Western Australia will significantly contribute to an atmosphere of trust and confidence that native title applications can be resolved without threatening the rights and interests of any party.

"It has been the experience in Queensland, where there have been two agreed determinations of native title and where more are imminent, that each agreement serves as a model for many other communities in demonstrating how positive outcomes can be achieved through constructive negotiations.

"In Queensland, the Tribunal has worked closely with the Government to prioritise applications according to their state of readiness for accelerated mediation, and there is no reason why a similar process could not be adopted in Western Australia with equal results."