Premier Colin Barnett announced today that an additional 54,000 square kilometres of land in the Kimberley will be added to the native title estate in Western Australia.
Premier Colin Barnett announced today that an additional 54,000 square kilometres of land in the Kimberley will be added to the native title estate in Western Australia.
This followed the State Government entering into two consent determinations over the Uunguu and Dambimangari native title claims.
Mr Barnett said the major native title decision was reached by consent and would bring the total area of determined land in WA to more than 910,000 square kilometres, an area almost the size of South Australia.
"This decision includes some of the most remote and spectacular inland and coastal areas of the Kimberley and is further evidence of the State Government's commitment to resolving native title in this State," the Premier said.
"The Liberal-National Government has now resolved five native title claims and negotiated major native title agreements over key areas of the State, including Australia's biggest-ever native title settlement agreement, being the Yawuru Agreements in Broome, and the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory Agreement in the Mid-West.
"Negotiations to establish port facilities, industrial and gas processing precincts in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions are also under way and an agreement to resolve native title by negotiation over the South-West is progressing."
Attorney General Christian Porter said the Uunguu and Dambimangari claims are located in the Kimberley region and form a part of the Wanjina Wunggurr cultural bloc. The first Wanjina claim was resolved through litigation in 2004.
"Exclusive possession native title rights will be recognised over the majority of Unallocated Crown Land and Aboriginal reserves in the application areas," Mr Porter said.
"Non-exclusive possession native title rights will be recognised over the intertidal zone, Napier Downs pastoral lease, a number of unvested reserves, some mining tenements and a small area of Unallocated Crown Land."
For the first time in WA, non-exclusive rights will also be recognised to the 12 nautical mile limit in the sea component of the Uunguu application area.
The non-exclusive rights will include the right to enter and remain, to live and camp, to fish, hunt and gather, and to engage in cultural activities.
It is expected that the determinations will be ratified by the Federal Court at on-country hearings in early 2011.
