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Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council v Attorney-General of New South Wales [2018] FCA 1136

Category: Case Law
Binomial Name: Federal Court of Australia
Date: 3 August 2018
Sub Category:Unopposed Determination
Place:

Central Coast

State/Country:New South Wales, Australia
This determination relates to 15 lots of land and comprises approximately 2.47 square kilometers. For a detailed description of the areas see the extract of the determination, attached below under documents. The determination area is within the jurisdiction of the Central Coast Council.
Legal Status:

Registered with the National Native Title Tribunal on the Native Title Register on 3 August 2018

Legal Reference: Federal Court file no.: NSD943/2017 National Native Title Tribunal file no.: NND2018/001
Alternative Names:
  • Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council
  • Darkinjung #1
  • Subject Matter:Native Title
    URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/FCA/2018/1136.html?context=1;query=%20[2018]%20FCA%201136%20;mask_path=
    Summary Information:

    Between: Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (Applicant) and Attorney General of New South Wales  (First Respondent), NTSCORP Limited ( Second Respondent)

    Judge: Griffiths J

    Determination: Native title does not exist in the determination area

    Full text of the determination is available via the URL link above.

    Detailed Information:

    Background

    On 15 June 2017, the applicant, filed four non-claimant applications for a determination that native title does not exist in relation to the land under s 61(1) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). The applicant, the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (DLALC), held fee simple titles over the determination area and so was able to make this non-claimant application [2],[19].

    Without a determination of native title the DLALC were unable to freely deal with the land due to the operation of s 42 and s 36 of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) (ALRA). Section 42 of the ALRA states that an Aboriginal Land Council can not 'deal with' the land until a determination has been made about the existence of native title rights and interests. Section 36(9) of ALRA states that the applicant could lose their title to the land if there is a successful native title claim over the area. In order to remove these constraints, the DLALC sought a determination that native title did not exist over the land [2].

    On 4 December 2017, an order was made that NTSCORP, being the State native title representative body, be joined as a respondent in the proceedings. 

    Details of Judgment

    The Attorney General of New South Wales and NTSCORP did not oppose DLALC's application for a determination that native title did not exist in the area. Both DLALC and the then Attorney General of New South Wales's submissions relied on the principles in  Peter Hillig in his capacity as administrator of Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister for Lands for the State of New South Wales [2005] FCA 1713 (Worimi #2) that in many cases a ruling could be made once the notice of the application had been made and no claim over native title had been asserted, as was the case in this instance [33], [44].

    Justice Griffiths was satisfied that no native title existed because the procedural matters had occurred and there was no response to the public notice, and there were no previously approved or current native title applications over the area [48] .

    Outcomes:

    Native title does not exist


    Related Entries

    Organisation
  • National Native Title Tribunal
  • NTSCorp Limited - Respondent
  • Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council - Applicant
  • Legislation
  • Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)
  • Native Title Amendment Act 1998 (Cth)
  • Native Title (Indigenous Land Use Agreements) Regulations 1999 (Cth)
  • Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW)
  • People
  • Attorney General of New South Wales - Respondent
  • Case Law
  • Peter Hillig in his capacity as administrator of Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister for Lands for the State of New South Wales [2005] FCA 1713 (28 November 2005)

  • Documents

    Document
    Extract from the National Native Title Register for NND2018/001 as at 12/07/2021 (Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council) - ( PDF)

    Glossary

    Native Title (Australia) | National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) (Australia) | Native Title Registers | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Australia) | Applicant | Respondent | Aboriginal Corporation (Australia) | Native Title Applicants | Native Title Holders (Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)) (Australia) | Native Title Representative Body (NTRB) (Australia) | Unopposed Determination (Native Title Act 1993 (Cth))

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