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The National Native Title Tribunal today invited indigenous people in the Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern regions to take part in workshops on the detail of major changes to Federal native title laws which took effect on 30 September this year.
Tribunal Regional Co-ordinator Lillian Maher said it was important for indigenous people to be briefed on their rights and obligations under the new laws.
"The Tribunal firmly believes that mediation, rather than litigation, is the best way to resolve native title applications and reach agreements which are supported by everyone involved, whether indigenous people, farmers, pastoralists, miners, local authorities or the State Government."
"Successful mediation hinges on well informed participants," she said.
Ms Maher said workshops would be held in Bunbury (2 Nov), Moora (2 Nov), Busselton (5 Nov), Collie (6 Nov), Narrogin (9 Nov), Katanning (10 Nov), Albany (11 Nov), Mandurah (12 Nov), Northam (16 Nov), Merredin (17 Nov) and Kondinin (18 Nov).
She said the briefings for indigenous people were among many workshops being held by the Tribunal throughout Australia with peak bodies, pastoralists, miners, local authorities and other groups.
"One of the most significant changes to native title laws is the introduction of a new, stringent registration test to decide which native title applications are of sufficient merit to be entitled to have a say over mining, exploration and some other developments on land subject to the native title application," she said.
"This test will be applied retrospectively to most existing native title applications over the next several months, so it is important that local native title applicants come to grips with what's expected of them."
Ms Maher said native title applicants would have to satisfy several important conditions to retain or attract the so called 'right to negotiate'. These included:
- demonstrating that the application was lodged with the authority of the group or clan from whom the native title rights were derived;
- showing evidence of continuous association with the land; and
- ensuring that none of the applicants had been involved in another application which had already passed the registration test.
Indigenous people interested in attending the information sessions were urged to call the Tribunal on 1800 640 501 (freecall) for dates and venues.
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