The National Native Title Tribunal’s Northern Territory and South Australian native title services will be provided by a single registry based in Adelaide from 2 August this year.
The Tribunal’s Registrar Stephanie Fryer-Smith said the Tribunal decided to amalgamate its NT and SA registries after reductions to the organisation's funding in 2010-11 and beyond, and for operational reasons.
Tribunal Registrar Stephanie Fryer-Smith.
The creation of the new Central Australia Registry will mean the closure of the Darwin-based NT Registry on Friday 30 July and the transfer of all NT services to the Tribunal’s premises in Adelaide. The amalgamation is being carefully coordinated by the Tribunal in June and July to ensure services to clients are not disrupted.
“The Tribunal regrets that its Northern Territory Registry in Darwin is to be closed,” Ms Fryer-Smith said.
“However, significant reductions in the Tribunal's appropriations over the next four years, as announced in the May Budget, coupled with a reduced workload at the Northern Territory Registry, underpin this decision.”
The Tribunal is keeping clients and stakeholders fully informed about the amalgamation.
“The Tribunal will continue to prioritise the delivery of high quality services to clients and stakeholders in both the Northern Territory and South Australia through the new Central Australia Registry,” Ms Fryer-Smith said.
The establishment of the Central Australia Registry reflects, to a large extent, current business practice where Tribunal services to SA and NT clients and stakeholders have been aligned for some time. For example, SA-based Tribunal Deputy President Chris Sumner mediates both NT and SA claims and both registries are currently managed by NT manager Tony Shelley.
The new Central Australia Registry will begin operating and serving the needs of both SA and NT stakeholders on Monday 2 August, from Level 10, Chesser House, 91 Grenfell Street, Adelaide.
[Earlier reports stated the NT Registry would close at the end of August and the new registry would begin operating on 1 September. However a smooth transition process has enabled the changes to be completed more quickly, with the changes to be in effect by 2 August.]
Stakeholders with any queries about the transition of NT business to the new Central Australia Registry can phone Tony Shelley on (08) 8936 1600, email enquiries@nntt.gov.au or phone national Freecall 1800 640 501. |