High Court challenge to $1.3b native title deal

Image: The land covered in the deal

A deal spruiked by the regional Land Council between the government and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWLSC).

 

Many of the Aboriginal people who signed the 1.3b deal stated that short term money deal would help their people. Decisions like this are often associated with multigenerational poverty and the ongoing genocide with little opportunities for their children.

 

Colin Barnett, the WA Premier (right) who reduced the sacred sites registered in his state by 1,300 and bends the rules to get mining companies onto Aboriginal land, couldn't sign the deal quick enough!

 

Herbert Kenneth Bropho (left) protesting outside Parliament House in WA - There has been opposition to South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWLSC) and the deal, many saying that they don't want to deal with the Western Australian government, never loan selling off the rights to country. And there is another issue, Herbert Bropho opposed the deal and claimed the SWLSC vote was rigged ... "SWALSC was picking and choosing the family members that were allowed in the meeting, they had a bus load of people going to the meeting who was the 'yes' vote.

A group of Noongar people opposed to an historic billion-dollar native title deal with the Noongar people and the West Australian government have launched legal action in the High Court to try to stop the agreement.

By Ryan Emery 23 December 2015

Action has begun in the High Court to try to stop a native title deal that could be worth $1.3 billion to the Noongar people of the south west of Western Australia.

The challenge is by other Noongar native title claimants who say they did not agree to the deal with the WA government to relinquish native title rights in return for a $1.3 billion compensation package.

The package would include land and funds for a trust to be managed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders.

In return, the Noongar people would give up their native title claims over the south west of the state including Perth city.

Native title claimant Margaret Culbong said the consultation process was flawed and those opposed to the deal weren’t given the opportunity to object.

“It was manipulated by the staff and the people who belong to the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council because they’d already signed off on the deal with the government and they just took it out to the people for the people to sanction it, or authorise,” she said.

“It wasn’t on.”

The South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council was not able to comment on the legal action, but its chief executive officer Glen Kelly has previously said the Noongar people were widely consulted on the deal.

A spokesperson for the WA government said both parties would continue to finalise the agreement while any legal proceedings were under way.