Search the Tribunal registers

To find out whether an area of land or water either is, is not, or may be affected by a native title determination, application or indigenous land use agreement (ILUA), you can request a search of the public registers maintained by the Tribunal. A charge may be associated with this service.

Do you need a register search?

If you require information about whether applications have been made over particular freehold areas, you may not need a register search because native title has most likely been extinguished over the land and waters covered by freehold grants.

The information sheet Register searches for native title claims over freehold land has more details.

You can also inspect the registers 'in person'. This does not involve giving actual access to the electronic registers. Information is provided to the person by means of an application summary or register extract.

How to request a search

To request a search, you need to fill out a search request form and mail, fax or email the completed form to the Tribunal.

Search request form

Information to include in a search request

When requesting a search of the registers, it is important to:

• clearly describe the area of land or water over which the search is required



(Please identify specific search areas by lot/plan numbers, mining tenement number or block and sub-block identifiers. Describe general search areas by a series of latitude/longitude or geographical coordinates or an area description, for example, Township of Gladstone — Queensland.)


• include which local government areas are involved



• include a map with geographic reference coordinates together with towns and associated geographical features, to confirm the search area



• include table listing (preferably in an Excel format) for searches involving a number of land parcels or mining tenements. This will assist the Tribunal and keep the search costs down.

The information provided with your request, and the information that is currently available about the area both impact on the result of the search. For example, searches based on land parcel identifiers are only possible where State or Territory governments have provided information about current interests within the area of a determination, application, or ILUA.

Complex searches and more detailed searches involving the Tribunal's Geospatial Analysis and Mapping Unit may take longer and therefore increase the cost.

Contact the Tribunal on freecall 1800 640 501 for more information.

What information will you receive?

You will receive a letter advising you whether or not the area you are interested in is affected by a native title determination, application or ILUA. The letter will include the relevant register extract and/or application summary and copies of any accompanying attachments (for example, a map).

If it is unclear whether the area is affected, the Tribunal can provide all register extracts and application summaries that may be relevant, as well as accompanying attachments.

What is a register extract?

A register extract is an extract from the Register of Native Title Claims (RNTC). It reflects how a registered application stands on this register. This may differ from the information in an application summary.

What is an application summary?

An application summary reflects how each application stands in the Federal Court of Australia. Not all applications are registered but when the application is registered, the information contained in the application summary may be different to the information on the RNTC.

This may occur for a number of reasons. For example, the application has been amended in the Federal Court but the amended application has not been considered under the registration test; or some native title rights and interests claimed were not accepted for registration.

What does it mean if a search shows that there is currently no native title determination, application or ILUA over an area?

If Tribunal registers have no entry covering the area you are interested in, it does not mean that native title does not exist in the area.

Rather, it indicates that, at the time of the search:

• the Federal Court had not received any claims or made any determinations of native title in relation to the area

or
• the Federal Court (or State or Territory body) had not yet notified the Tribunal that it had received a native title application over the area.