Uncertain future for Aboriginal Land Rights

Future of Indigenous land rights under native title uncertain, SBS.com 14 Feb 14 The Native Title Act, introduced under the Keating Labor government 20 years ago, was a landmark piece of legislation.

Noongar man Glen Kelly at the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council in Western Australia says the Native Title Act has been critical to advancements in Indigenous land rights.

But he says the legislation has still been divisive within Indigenous communities because it’s often misunderstood……..

The future of Native Title legislation ‘uncertain’

The Native Title Act has been amended several times and there’s another review going on now by the Australian Law Reform Commission, which is due to report back next year.

One of its key concerns will be to look at the time it takes to solve a claim.

Glen Kelly from the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council in WA says resolving that issue is critical to the future of the land rights movement for Indigenous people.

“The only people who have uncertainty in Native Title are the Native Title claimants. We also know now that the content of Native Title is very poor. It’s the right to do things on land which someone else now owns and from our point of view, from this representative body’s point of view we don’t think that’s acceptable.”