Native title
Native title and cultural heritage have become blended as issues. They can be complex and require sensitivity, patience and a forensic understanding of legislation and community expectation.
Our team has advised Traditional Owners, proponents, government and the broader community on their obligations in this area, preparing cultural heritage management plans and native title agreements that deliver solutions. With our broad experience in communicating and negotiating with Indigenous communities, we turn issues into outcomes.
We understand the requirements of a range of projects to deliver appropriate, commercial and cost-effective services. This is where sensitivity and common sense come together.
Our highly experienced native title lawyers advise and negotiate on behalf of various clients on all aspects of native title issues. Our expertise includes negotiating, drafting and advising on Indigenous land use agreements, right to negotiate agreements and preparing advice for clients with respect to specific native title issues.
We pay particular attention to matters relating to future acts, land access and resource and mining and infrastructure projects.
Additionally our native title App allows clients to instantly identify active native title claims over a particular area. This information is critical in identifying those Traditional Owners who individuals, companies and government should be talking to when they are looking to develop relationships with their local communities. To download the Native Title Claim Check App for free, visit the iTunes App Store
To find out more, contact Dominic McGann
Experience
Peabody
Providing ongoing native title advice and support in relation to all of Peabody’s mines and exploration activity, a major miner operating in the NSW and Queensland coal fields.
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads
Advising on the Peninsula Developmental Road, which connects the whole of Cape York, an area of 7,000 square kilometres requiring the negotiation of various native title and cultural heritage consents.
Metro Mining
Successfully led the native title and Indigenous landholder negotiations to develop the first agreement in Cape York for some time.
Senex Energy
Advising on complex native title negotiations for the publicly listed, diversified Australian energy company, which is pursuing a range of gas interests in the southwest region of Queensland.
Spicers Group
Developed a native title strategy to deliver project certainty for the Scenic Rim Trail project, developed in response to a Queensland Government initiative to facilitate ecotourism in the State’s national park estate.
Frasers Property Australia
Assisting one of Australia’s largest residential developers with a new residential subdivision including a highly unusual matter involving a very rare example of a piece of Aboriginal heritage under the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 (Qld) (Aboriginal heritage otherwise appearing within a native title context).
Evolution Mining
Provide ongoing advice to Evolution in relation to a number of its gold projects in Queensland, NSW and WA.
The carbon industry
Worked with the State, industry and the community in Queensland to confirm that the creation of a carbon interest is not a ‘future act’ for the purposes of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and as a result, we have been able to reach agreement with a range of Traditional Owners.