Attorney-General'sdepartment

-

YamatjiMarlpa

ABORIGINALCORPORATION

OurRef: GEN033

Office:Perth

28June2013

NativeTitleUnit

Attorney-General'sDepartment

RobertGarranOffices

3-5NationalCircuit

BARTONACT2600

DearSir/Madam

REVIEWOFTHENATIVETITLEACT1993BYTHEAUSTRALIANLAWREFORM COMMISSION-DRAFTTERMSOF REFERENCE

ThankyoufortheopportunitytocommentontheDraftTermsofReferencefortheabove review.

YamatjiMarlpaAboriginalCorporation(YMAC)istheNativeTitleRepresentativeBodyfor thePilbara,MurchisonandGascoyneareasofWesternAustralia.Theorganisationhasa representative areaofalmostonemillionsquarekilometresandrepresents25nativetitle claimantgroups,allwiththeirownlanguage,cultureandtraditions.

YMACisanot-for-profitorganisationrunbyanAboriginalBoardofDirectorsandprovides

arangeofservicestoitsmembersincludinglegalrepresentationthroughoutthenativetitle claimprocessandfutureactnegotiations;communityandeconomicdevelopment,and naturalresourcemanagement.

Asyouwouldbeaware,YMAChasbeenworkingcloselywiththeAttorney-General's Departmentandindustrystakeholdersforseveralyearsinanefforttobuildconsensuson legislativereformstoimprovethenativetitlesystem.ThefailureoftheNativeTitle AmendmentBill2012topassthroughthefinalstagesoftheParliamentaryprocessbefore theupcomingelectionisdeeplydisappointing,aftersuchalengthyincubationperiod.

TheGovernment's announcementofaReviewoftheNativeTitleAct1993bythe AustralianLawReformCommissionwillprovidesomeconsolationtoourmembersand nativetitleclaimgroups.YMACnotesthattheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderSocial JusticeCommissionercalledforanindependentreviewinalmosteveryNativeTitleReport sinceatleast2008.

Geraldton

171MarineTee

GeraldtonWA6530

POBox2119

GeraldtonWA6531

T(08)99656222

F(08)99645646

Karratha

Units4 &5

26-32DeGreyPlace

KarrathaWA6714

POBox 825

KarrathaWA6714

T(08)91442866

F(08)91442795

SouthHedland

3BrandStreet

SouthHedlandWA6722

POBox2252

SouthHedlandWA6722

T(08)91725433

F(08)91401277

TomPrice

Shop2a,973CentralRoad

TomPriceWA6751

POBox27

TomPriceWA6751

T(08)91881722

F(08)91881996

Perth

Level2,16StGeorge'sTee

PerthWA6000

POBox3072 249HayStreet

EastPerthWA6892

T(08)92687000

F (08)92254633

YAMATJlMARLPAABORIGINALCORPORATIONISANATIVETITLEREPRESENTATIVEBODYICN 2001I ABN14011921883 1

===YamatjiMarlpa

-ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

Recommendation 2.1ofthe2010NativeTitleReportstates:

ThattheAustralianGovernmentcommissionanindependentinquirytoreviewthe operationofthenativetitlesystemandexploreoptionsfornativetitlelawreform,witha viewtoaligningthesystemwithinternationalhumanrightsstandards.Further,thatthe termsofreferenceforthisreviewbedevelopedinfullconsultation withallrelevant stakeholders,particularly AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples.Suchtermsof referencecouldinclude,butnotbelimitedto,anexaminationof:

•theimpactofthecurrentburdenofproof

•theoperationofthelawregardingextinguishment

•thefutureactregime

•optionsforadvancingnegotiatedsettlements(includingthepotentialfor alternative,comprehensivesettlements).1

Inthe2011NativeTitleReport,CommissionerMickGoodawrote:

'Withinthenativetitlesystemtherearesignificantobstacles tothefullrealisationofour rights,including,forexample,theonerousburdenofproof,theinjusticesof extinguishment,theweaknessofthe goodfaithrequirements,andlimitationsonour abilitytouseourlands,territoriesandresourcestodevelopanddetermineprioritiesfor

ourowndevelopment.'2

TheDraftTermsofReferencesetsouttwokeyissuesasthefocusoftheReview:

i.Connectionrequirementsrelatingtotherecognitionandscopeofnativetitlerightsand interests,and

ii.Theidentificationofbarriers,ifany,imposedbytheAct'sauthorisationandjoinder provisionstoclaimants' andpotentialclaimants'accesstojustice,andaccesstoand protectionofnativetitlerightsandbenefits.

YMACwelcomestheinclusionofthefirstissuerelatingtoconnectionrequirements.This willprovideanopportunityfortheGovernmenttoproperlyconsiderthemeritsandpractical implicationsofintroducingarebuttablepresumptionofcontinuity;areformproposal suggestedformanyyearsbyformerFederalCourtJudgesandtheHonRobertMcClelland MP,since2009.

Withrespect,however, YMACconsiderstheinclusionofthesecondissueregarding authorisationandjoinderprovisionsawastedopportunity.Section84D oftheNativeTitle Actwasdesignedtoallowthecourttodealwithissuesarisingwithauthorisationina streamlinedandefficientway.InYMAC'sexperience,thisprovisionislargelyworkingand notpresentingsignificantissuesforparties.

YMACsubmitsthatitwouldbeamuchmorevaluableuseofresourcestoamendthe secondissueintheTermsofReferencetoinquireintotheraciallydiscriminatorydoctrine ofextinguishment.Thisisamuchmorepervasive,system-wideissuethatdelaysthe claimsresolutionprocessandcreatesconsiderable duressforallparties.

Thecircumstances prescribedbytheNativeTitleActinwhichtheextinguishment ofnative titlemaybedisregardedarefartoolimitedinscopeandinmanycasesunreasonablylimits theareaoflandoverwhichnativetitlecouldbedetermined.

TheCommonwealthGovernmenthasalreadyacknowledgedtheneedforreformsto expandopportunitiestodisregardhistorical extinguishment.TheNativeTitleAmendment

1AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderCommissioner(2010),NativeTitleReport2010,Australian

HumanRightsCommission,p.xii

2AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderCommissioner(2011),NativeTitleReport2011,Australian

HumanRightsCommission,pp19-20

YAMATJIMARLPAABORIGINALCORPORATIONISANATIVETITLEREPRESENTATIVEBODYICN2001IABN14011921883I

2

=-==YamatjiMarlpa

-ABORIGINALCORPORATION

Bill2012includedprovisionstoallowforthedisregardingofhistoricalextinguishmentover parksandreservesunderlimitedcircumstances.Manystakeholderssubmittedduringthe publicconsultationperiodthatthesechangesdidnotgofarenoughandtheprovisions shouldnotdependonagreementbyStategovernments.InYMAC'sview,theissue remainscontestedandmeritsanin-depthindependentinquiry.

Wewouldencouragetheinquirytofocusspecificallyontheoperationofextinguishmentin relationtopastoralimprovementsandVacantCrownLand,overwhichnon-exclusive possessionleaseshavepreviouslybeenissued.Disregardingextinguishmentinthese instanceswouldgoasignificantwaytodeliveringlandjusticefornativetitleclaimants.To illustratetheperverseoutcomesthatcanariseunderthecurrentregime,inoneofthe claimsYMACrepresentsanapplicantisfacingthepossibilitythatworkheundertookasa stockmanonapastoralstationyearsagomayberegardedashavingextinguishedhisown nativetitle.Thisisdespitethefactthatworkingonthepastoralstationenabledthisnative titleclaimanttoactivelypracticehiscultureandmaintainhisconnectiontotraditionallaw andcustoms.

Uncertaintyinrelationtotheoperationofextinguishmentalsocreatesasignificantburden forrespondentparties.Byincludingareferencetotheoperationofextinguishment,the AustralianLawReformCommissioncouldreviewthecostandtimeconsumingsearchesof historicaltenureoverlandthatStategovernmentpartiesmustundertakeinorderto

resolveclaims,andtheintricateanalysisofthishistoricaltenurethatisrequiredto

determinetheexistenceandextentofextinguishment.AstheAustralianInstituteof AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderStudieshasraisedinprevioussubmissionstoyour Department,'Effectively,apotentialdisputearisesovereachindividualtenuregranted overpast230years.Regardlessofwhetherthesedisputestaketheformofnegotiationor

litigation, thetimeandcostassociatedwiththisaspectoftheclaimsissignificant.'3This

issuehasbeenraisedrecentlybythejudiciaryandStateGovernmentinrelationto

WesternAustraliancasesandmeritsindependentreview.

Finally,aninquiryintotheoperationofextinguishmentcouldalsoexplorewaystomore constructivelymanagethepotentialcompensationliabilityofStateandCommonwealth Governments,therebycreatinganadditionalincentivetospeeduptheresolutionofclaims andimprovethequalityofnativetitleoutcomesforallparties.

ThankyouagainfortheopportunitytocommentonthedraftTermsof Referenceand pleasedonothesitatetocontactmeifyouwouldliketodiscussanyoftheissuesraisedin furtherdetail.

MICHAELMEEGAN

AJGCHIEFEXECUTIVEOFFICER

3Strelein,L.(2010),'ProposedAmendmenttoEnabletheHistoricalExtinguishmentofNativeTitle tobeDisregardedinCertainCircumstances',SubmissiontotheCommonwealthAttorney-General's Department,AustralianInstitute ofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderStudies.Availableat: http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/ntru/docs/201Ohistoricalexting.pdf.Viewed:26June2013.

YAMATJlMARLPAABORIGINALCORPORAliONISANAliVETITLEREPRESENTAliVEBODYICN20011ABN14 011921883 I