Millewa-Mallee native title win gives traditional owners exclusive rights

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Federal Court has awarded a historic native title determination allowing First Nations people in Victoria's north-west the right to control access to their country for the first time. The First Peoples of the Millewa-Mallee's native title determination includes areas with exclusive rights for traditional owners, meaning anybody wanting to access those areas will need to seek permission from them.

Transcript

00:00Finally a place to call their own.

00:06I've just been for my grandchildren and their grandchildren and I've stayed for them.

00:15It's been a journey for them.

00:18The Federal Court was on country near Mildura today.

00:21Justice Elizabeth Bennet announcing Victoria's first exclusive native title claim.

00:27You have your native title.

00:30It was a decision a long time coming for local elders.

00:33Well it was always our land.

00:36The claim covers the north-west corner of the state, an area known as the Milawa,

00:41granting native title to the Ningte, Lachi Lachi or Nyeri Nyeri traditional owner groups.

00:47Those groups will be represented by the first people of the Milawa Mali Aboriginal Corporation,

00:52which will serve as the native title's body corporate.

00:55Some parts of the claim, mainly where indigenous corporations already hold title,

00:59will now have exclusive status, meaning they will determine who can come on country.

01:05While the state and traditional owners have committed to negotiating exclusive access

01:10to additional parts of Crown land, such as national parks.

01:14But any existing freehold title remains, meaning farms and recreational areas are exempt from any native title.

01:23Once the wider community understand what we've achieved with this determination,

01:29then they need to play a role in helping us.

01:34Today's judgement brings to an end a process which began 35 years ago as discussions,

01:40and a legal case which started in 2015.

01:43This is Victoria's first exclusive native title claim,

01:47leaving the ACT and Tasmania as the only Australian jurisdictions

01:51without any claims of exclusive rights status.

01:54A milestone moment for the Mali.

01:57We're starting to work together now, as one family.

02:04Hot partners have recently created.

02:07Let's get some friends out there.

02:08Today's work on ouram kinda with the sneaky Ça Laboratory.

02:11And the meisten of the directors,

02:13we've been Tokyo совершенно毎ois.

02:14It's run by a crew 60 run.

02:17It's very fun, 35% now.

02:18It's in full field, a season 4.

02:20It's okay, we're half of people,

02:22that we are being very successful,

02:25so we're not interested.

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