Native Title – Recent experience
Recent Native Title experience includes:
Burnett Water
Advising on all aspects of native title and cultural
heritage for the Burnett River Dam and associated weirs, including negotiating
and drafting native title and cultural heritage agreements, and the compulsory
acquisition of native title under Queensland's State Development and Public
Works Organisation Act (the first time this legislation has been used for
this purpose).
Cliff Head development
Providing native title and project management
advice to ROC Oil, the operator of an oil and gas exploration project of Western
Australia, in bringing their exploration permit into production.
Kalkadoon Indigenous Land Use Agreement
Acting for MIM in the
negotiation of the landmark Kalkadoon Indigenous Land Use Agreement, which
related to the grant of approximately 100 exploration permits to several mining
companies. This was the first ILUA negotiated under the Queensland alternative
state process.
Kenbi native title claim
Advising the Northern Territory Government
in relation to the Kenbi native title claim over the Cox Peninsula. This was one
of the most significant, and the largest, native title land claim in the
Northern Territory. We also acted for the government on a native title claim for
the Middle Head terminal site.
Mitakoodi native title challenge
Acted in relation to a dispute
involving a native title claim across a large area of central Queensland,
including the area of the Ernest Henry Gold Mine. We successfully applied to the
Federal Court in Queensland to stay the native title claim.
Negotiations with Wik people
We continue to represent a commercial
party in negotiations with the Wik people. This ongoing work follows our
successful representation of that client in the landmark Wik litigation before
Australia's High Court.
Rolleston Coal Mine
Advised on all aspects of native title and
cultural heritage on the Rolleston Coal Mine Project in Central Queensland.
Extensive negotiation and drafting of agreements in respect of cultural heritage
and advising on 'future act processes' under the Native Title Act. This
project involved extensive dealings with the Queensland Government on cultural
heritage and native title issues.
