Promoting Agreement assistance is a support service offered by the National Native Title Tribunal after native title has been recognised. In practical terms, we work alongside your Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) — at your request and with your consent — to help organise information, clarify issues, and support conversations that lead to clear, lasting decisions. It's Your Choice. Your Goals. Your Pathway.
2. Does our PBC, need to be involved??
Yes. The PBC is the driver. Promoting Agreement assistance is always community-led and consent‑based. Even if an individual common law holder or another group approaches us, we won't undertake any work unless the PBC agrees to be involved. This ensures outcomes are grounded in the PBC's governance —where decisions properly sit.
3. What can our PBC ask for?
You may request support across six main areas:
- Cultural mapping
- Cultural knowledge
- Dispute resolution
- Tenure
- Heritage
- Agreements
These are areas where PBCs often tell us things get complicated or stuck. Promoting Agreement assistance is about helping turn your existing knowledge, information, experience and perspectives — into practical tools and shared understanding.
4. What don't you do?
It's important to be clear about the limits of what we can do. Under Promoting Agreement assistance, we do not:
- Provide legal advice or act as your lawyer
- Advocate for parties
- Represent parties or take sides
- Replace PBC governance
- Handle compliance or regulatory matters
- Investigate allegations
What we do is give neutral support, keep strict confidentiality and focus on strengthening PBC governance capability through practical tools while decisions always stay with your PBC.
5. What outcomes can we expect?
That really depends on your priorities, but common outcomes from Promoting Agreement assistance include:
- Agreement inventories that clearly show obligations, benefits and key dates
- Tenure map packs showing activity on Country
- Cultural mapping frameworks or registers
- Native Title Journey timelines
- Workshop or facilitation reports that capture issues, options and agreed next steps
Just as important is the shared process of co-designing these outcomes.
6. How do you help when there's conflict or internal disagreement?
We approach conflict as part of governance , not something to rush or “fix" for you.
Through Promoting Agreement assistance, we support culturally appropriate, structured conversations—often using visual tools such as maps or timelines. The focus is on clarity, respect and outcomes that hold over time.
7. How do you work with our NTRB/NTSP, lawyers and other partners?
We coordinate rather than duplicate. Promoting Agreement assistance is designed to sit alongside your existing relationships. Where specialist advice is needed—legal, heritage, business or archival—we can help connect your PBC with the right organisations, so everyone is clear on roles and effort isn't duplicated.
8. We have limited time or capacity, where should we start?
Many PBCs start small and focused. A good entry point for Promoting Agreement assistance can be:
- A simple tenure and agreements snapshot
- One facilitated workshop focused on a priority decision
- Bringing together key cultural information needed for decision-making
Targeted work like this often build momentum quickly. Watch our video [link] which shows how you might choose 1 or 2 priority areas to focus on.
9. Can you help us prepare for future acts without providing legal advice?
Yes. While Promoting Agreement assistance doesn't include legal advice, we can help organise information, map upcoming activities, clarify timeframes, and identify key decision points. That way, when you're working with your legal advisers, everyone is clear about process and context.
10. How do we get started, and does it cost anything?
To get started, email PBCassist@nntt.gov.au with what you'd like help with and any deadlines you're working to.
Promoting Agreement assistance provided by the NNTT is at no cost to the PBC. If external specialist support is needed, we can help connect you, but any costs sit outside our role.
