Resources and publications
Title | Author /s | Summary | Date | Tag(s) | Type |
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Authorisation and decision-making in native title | Nick Duff | Native title involves an interface between the Australian legal system and Indigenous legal, cultural and political systems. The assertion and management of native title rights involves collective action by sometimes large and disparate groups of Indigenous people. Contentious politics makes such collective action difficult and the courts will often be asked to decide whether group decisions have been validly made. In the last two decades a vast and complex body of law and practice has developed to address this challenge. Authorisation law is a set of principles about how the views and intentions of native title claimants or holders are translated into legally effective decisions. This book sets out the legal rules and their application in various situations: native title claims, native title agreement-making, decision-making by native title corporations, and compensation applications. It also addresses key practical, ethical and political dimensions of native title decision-making. This book will be useful for native title practitioners including lawyers, judges and native title holders. It will also be relevant to academic research into the ethical, political and anthropological dimensions of Indigenous governance. |
Decision making, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Book | |
Brief index of materials relating to native title compensation research | This information sheet provides brief information about materials relating to native title compensation research. |
Compensation, Culture, Research | Information Sheet | ||
Building Indigenous community governance in Australia: Preliminary research findings | Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research | This is a preliminary research report from the first year of fieldwork conducted by the Indigenous Community Governance Project (ICGP). The Project is exploring the nature of Indigenous community governance in diverse contexts and locations across Australia through a series of diverse case studies—to understand what works, what doesn’t work, and why. A comparative analysis of the Project’s case studies is revealing that governance and decision-making in Indigenous community governance is shaped by multiple historical, cultural and political relationships. Family and governance histories associated with particular communities and sets of regionally-linked communities are central features in community governance dynamics and arrangements. Strengthening Indigenous community governance requires negotiating appropriate contemporary relationships among the different Indigenous people within a region or community, and adapting or creating structures and processes to reflect important relationships. Several dimensions are being identified as being fundamental to building stronger, sustainable governance at the community and regional levels. These are the impact of the wider ‘governance environment’, cultural match and cultural geography, modes of leadership and representation, institutional capacity, organisational design and relationships, representation, decision-making processes, and human resource issues. Capacity development for governance needs to be considered within a systems framework and should be a process that actively strengthens Indigenous decision-making and control over their core institutions, goals and identity, and that enhances cultural match and legitimacy. The report concludes with some emerging issues and implications for policy makers and for Indigenous organisations and their leaders. |
Capacity building, Community development, Decision making, Governance, Leadership, Partnerships | Report | |
Closed and open questions | Aurora | Explanation of closed and open questions. |
Decision making, Meetings | Information Sheet | |
Common types of decision making processes | Aurora | Outlines different methods of decision-making. |
Decision making, Meetings | Information Sheet | |
Compensation fact sheet | National Native Title Council | This fact sheet provides general information for native title compensation under the Native Title Act 1993 (NTA). |
Compensation, Native Title Act | Fact sheet | |
Consolidated report on Indigenous Protected Areas following Social Return on Investment analyses | Social Ventures Australia | PM&C commissioned SVA Consulting to understand, measure or estimate and value the changes resulting from the investment in five IPAs across Australia. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology was used to complete each of these analyses, which were informed by interviews with 143 stakeholders as well as desktop research canvassing relevant qualitative and quantitative data. |
Caring for Country, Community development, IPA (Indigenous Protected Areas), Land and sea management, Tourism, Training | Report | |
Decision-making: Constitutions of Prescribed Bodies Corporate | Ashleigh Blechynden | The Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) research snapshot series has been developed to share findings from the Native Title Research Unit’s (NTRU) investigation into the constitutions and financial reports of PBCs. This research forms part of the PBC Capability project which aims to develop a long-term national picture of the PBC sector. This snapshot examines the decision-making processes identified by PBCs within their constitutions including voting processes, quorum requirements and the use of independent directors. |
CATSI Act, Constitutions, Decision making, Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Rule book | Report | |
Exercising native title rights and interests | Lisa Eaton | Traditional owners- native title claimants- native title holders- members of a prescribed body corporate. Who holds what native title rights? How can you exercise such rights? Post determination rights and interests are managed through a corporation governed by western laws and values. As is now well documented, this very structure required under the Native Title Act is often at odds with Indigenous decision making structures. This paper will begin to examine post determination issues surrounding the complex and layered network of native title ‘memberships’ and the parameters within which they must operate. There is often a fundamental misunderstanding as to how traditional rights and interests can be exercised and fully leveraged by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In order to effectively manage native title greater clarity is required. |
Decision making, NNTC (National Native Title Council) | Presentation | |
Gkuthaarn and Kukatj Land and Sea Country Plan | GKuthaarn and Kukatj Traditional Owners, Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation | The Gkuthaarn and Kukatj Land and Saltwater Country Plan is a strategic document that provides a framework for our people and our partners to work together to care for all the natural and cultural values of our country, while providing a sustainable livelihood for our community and others with rights and interests in our land and saltwater country. |
Commercial development, Community development, Employment, Environment, Indigenous knowledge, Land and sea management, Tourism, Youth | Report | |
Governance Rules and Policies | Indigenous Governance Toolkit | The topic 'Rules and policies' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has six sections,
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Decision making, Governance, Meetings, Policies | Toolkit | |
Governing the Organisation | Indigenous Governance Toolkit | The topic 'Governing the Organisation' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has nine sections.
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Decision making, Governance, Leadership, Strategic planning | Information Sheet | |
Information for PBCs on changes to native title laws and obligations | CATSI Act, Decision making, Dispute management, Exemptible rules, Future acts, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Legal, Native Title Act, Native title holder, PBC Regulations, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Reporting | Fact sheet | |||
Legal context for PBC decision making | Aurora | Information sheet about decision-making for PBCs. |
Decision making, Governance, Legal, Meetings, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Information Sheet | |
Making decisions | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | ORIC newsletter about making decisions. |
Decision making, Meetings, Members, ORIC | Newsletter | |
Native Title Anthropology after the Timber Creek Decision | Pamela Faye McGrath | In August 2016, the traditional owners of Timber Creek in the Northern Territory, the Ngaliwurru and Nungali peoples, were awarded over $3.3 million for the loss of their native title rights. $1.3 million of this award was a solatium payment, that is, compensation for hurt arising from damage caused by the loss of connection to the land. Griffiths v Northern Territory of Australia (No 3) [2016] FCA 900 (Timber Creek), which was heard by Justice John Mansfield, is the courts first litigated award of compensation for the loss or impairment of native title rights. In making his decision, Justice Mansfield relied on the evidence of anthropologists when assessing not only connections to country, but also the qualities and consequences of the social impacts that accompany the loss of connections to country. This paper considers the implications of the Timber Creek decision for the work of native title anthropologists and highlights some of the conceptual and methodological shifts required for research on native title compensation claims. The author draws attention to the demanding nature of native title compensation cases and the potential for research to aggravate existing trauma associated with loss of country, arguing for the need for all involved to be attentive to this risk when pursuing future claims. Recommended citation: McGrath, PF 2017, Native Title Anthropology after the Timber Creek Decision, Land, Rights, Laws: Issues of Native Title series, vol. 6, no. 5, AIATSIS Research Publications, Canberra. |
Compensation, Legal, Native Title Act | Article / paper | |
Native Title Report 2012 | Australian Human Rights Commission | Under the Native Title Act 1993, the Social Justice Commissioner is required to prepare a Native Title Report each year for federal Parliament. Through these reports the Commissioner gives a human rights perspective on native title issues and advocates for practical co-existence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in using land. The 2012 Native Title report includes a section on Indigneous Governance and a human rights approach to Indigenous governance. |
Carbon farming, Compensation, Governance, Human rights, Indigenous knowledge | Report | |
PBC decision-making, certification and fees for service | National Indigenous Australians Agency | This Discussion Paper explains how native title decisions and decisions to make a compensation application are to be made by Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and explains the decision-making processes available to PBCs and common law holders. It also includes information on when PBCs can charge fees for their services. |
Decision making, Fee for service | Report | |
PBC decision-making, certification and fees for service discussion paper | CATSI Act, Compensation, Decision making, Exemptible rules, Fee for service, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Legal, Members, Native Title Act, Native title holder, PBC Regulations, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Rule book | Fact sheet | |||
Planning for the future: maximising native title compensation through the use of future funds | Pamela Kaye, Glenys Hayes | A number of native title groups have seeded their own Future Funds and are growing an asset base to meet the needs of future generations. We will discuss the governance policies, investment strategies and transparent reporting structures of Future Funds, including their ability to take a long term view of investments and ride out world economic cycles. In Griffiths v Northern Territory of Australia (Timber Creek Decision) the Federal Court ordered that the Northern Territory Government pay $3.3M including $1,488,261 for interest, to the Traditional Owners as compensation. The court considered that ‘the appropriate interest calculation is simple interest’ as there was insufficient commercial activity to justify compounding returns. In this presentation we will explore how investing a portion of available funds in a Future Fund may influence the courts to apply compound interest. Economic modelling will demonstrate that with a Future Fund the settlement amount could’ve been entirely different. |
Compensation, Finance, Funding, Trusts | Presentation |