NATIVE TITLE CLAIM GRANTED________________________ ____________________________Banjalang People Native Title Claim on NSW North Coast Approved by Federal Court A native title claim for an area on the New South Wales north coast has been approved by the Federal Court at a special hearing at Evans Head. The Bandjalang people applied for native title rights over an area covering more than 2,750 square kilometres in the late 1990s. The decision was greeted with sustained applause and a joyful cry of this is our land. The claim was first launched 17 years ago and some of those who made the original applications did not live to see todays consent. The ruling recognises rights for the Bandjalang people over land bordered by Casino, Evans Head and Grafton which includes national parks, state forests, and Crown land. Bandjalang representatives asked the court to recognise by consent their right to hunt, fish, camp, protect cultural sites and gather natural resources in accordance with their traditional laws and customs. Federal Court Judge Justice Jane Jagot travelled to the region today to inspect the land at the centre of the claim. The lawyer representing the Bandjalang people, Mishka Holt, says it is a complex process. Part of what has taken so long is that Native Title is a fairly new area of law, she said. Although the Native Title Act has been in effect for 20 years, compared to other types of law such as property law, there hasnt been hundreds and hundreds of years of the law developing. So theres been a lot of matters proceeding to the High Court. Negotiations on an indigenous land use agreement for the area are already under way. This could lead to more indigenous employment and more say over the management and development of the land. The Native Title Service Provider for Aboriginal Traditional Owners (NTSCORP), which has been assisting the Banjalang people with their native title claim, says other interests in the land and waters affected by the decision will continue to exist. For example it says public access will continue for National parks and state forests alongside the Banjalang peoples right to exercise their traditional laws. The Bandjalang aim to use the courts recognition as the basis for protecting their most important cultural sites including Dirawong Headland, Gumma Garra and areas of Black Rocks. (ABC: Bruce MacKenzie, 2/11/13) abc.net.au/news/2013-12-02/native-title-claim-on-nsw-north-coast-approved-by-federal-court/5129170
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 05:18:00 +0000
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