In a riverbed adjacent to an outback homestead, a Federal Court judge has delivered exclusive possession of a Northern Territory station to its traditional owners.
The Amapete, Apwetyerlaneme, Atnweale and Warrtharre people are celebrating the strongest form of native title under Australian law.
Sitting in a plastic chair under river gums, Justice John Halley delivered the consent determination this week, on the banks of the Plenty River, next to Huckitta homestead, 270km northeast of Alice Springs.
Native title holder Raymond Webb said the process to claim the land dated back to 2010, when they purchased the Huckitta pastoral lease with the assistance of the Aboriginals Benefit Account, and the Huckitta Aboriginal Corporation took over as the leaseholder. .
"And we got it back with the native title papers,” he said.
“I think it's real great out here to bring the family down here. I think it’s real great for the younger generation as well, when we pass on, the younger generations can step forward when we going to pass on."
The rights cover almost all the claim area of nearly 1700 square kilometres.
Work on the claim began in 2011, and a native title determination application was filed in the Federal Court in October 2020.
Native titleholder Maria Ross said the clans were "so happy and proud".
“This country is for everyone, we can bring our young children to visit country, it’s got a lot of sacred sites. Teaching our young ones to understand our country," she said.
“Many years we was waiting for this to happen. All our old people passed away, the ones talking about this country all the time.”
Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner said native title rights differed from land rights.
“The determination allows native title holders to hunt, gather, conduct cultural activities and ceremonies in the area, as well as utilise resources from the land for an economic benefit,” he said.
“What's special about this determination is that the traditional owners hold the pastoral lease, which allows the native title holders to control access onto the station, but unlike under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, they have no veto right over mining.”
Exclusive possession can only be recognised over limited parts of Australia, such as unallocated or vacant Crown land and certain areas already held by, or for, Indigenous Australians.
