Land rights are still bitterly contested, passionately fought over and, irrefutably, close to the hearts of thousands of Aboriginal people all over Australia. Land rights and the Land Councils, never far from controversy, are, once again in the political spotlight. While the critics change, their arguments have basically remained unchanged for nearly two decades. Land rights, one of the few positive outcomes to emerge for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory in the past 40 years, has slowly been turned into an unfulfilled obligation for the Australian government.
Individual home ownership by Aboriginal people living remotely is almost non-existent. There are some homes bought on Tiwi Island and four families nearly bought houses at …show more content…
He must also comment on any detriment to others that may occur should the land be granted and the effect a grant may have on existing or proposed patterns of land usage in the region.
The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs decides whether or not to recommend to the Governor General to grant all or part of the land under claim.
As a result of an amendment to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act by the Hawke Government, no more land claims could be lodged after June 30 1997. However some claims before then are still outstanding, with over 1000 yet to be determined in NSW alone. Recent 2014 studies indicate that less that 1% of land in NSW that is available to be returned, has been returned.
Clearly, this long, arduous process of lodging and receiving acknowledgement of a successful land claim needs to be completed more speedily and in a more comprehensive manner than is currently occurring.
The oldest aboriginal land rights claim in Australia as of the 14th January 2014, as recorded by the ABC website, is that of the Kenbi tribe, traditional owners Tibby and Sherana Quail. The claim was lodged in 1979 and 36 years later it is still not
Individual home ownership by Aboriginal people living remotely is almost non-existent. There are some homes bought on Tiwi Island and four families nearly bought houses at …show more content…
He must also comment on any detriment to others that may occur should the land be granted and the effect a grant may have on existing or proposed patterns of land usage in the region.
The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs decides whether or not to recommend to the Governor General to grant all or part of the land under claim.
As a result of an amendment to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act by the Hawke Government, no more land claims could be lodged after June 30 1997. However some claims before then are still outstanding, with over 1000 yet to be determined in NSW alone. Recent 2014 studies indicate that less that 1% of land in NSW that is available to be returned, has been returned.
Clearly, this long, arduous process of lodging and receiving acknowledgement of a successful land claim needs to be completed more speedily and in a more comprehensive manner than is currently occurring.
The oldest aboriginal land rights claim in Australia as of the 14th January 2014, as recorded by the ABC website, is that of the Kenbi tribe, traditional owners Tibby and Sherana Quail. The claim was lodged in 1979 and 36 years later it is still not