Resources and publications

Information about the roles and functions of PBCs under the CATSI Act, the Native Title Act and the PBC regulations.

The topic 'Leadership' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has seven sections,

1. Leadership for governance
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
3. The challenges of leadership
4. Evaluating your leadership
5. Youth leadership and succession planning
6. Building leadership capacity to govern
7. Case studies

Information sheet about decision-making for PBCs.

Much of the attention paid to native title in Australia has focused on court proceedings and other legalities, but what does it actually mean to live with native title? This book presents the experiences of native title holders and the corporations they have established to look after their native title interests.

The influence of the renowned High Court Mabo case is such that there are already more than 100 Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs) across Australia with responsibilities for about 18 per cent of the continent. RNTBCs operate in a profoundly intercultural context where ‘western’ and Indigenous laws are constantly interpreted and negotiated as part of a new suite of landholding and land management practices for contemporary Australia.

Through seven case studies from the Torres Strait, Far North Queensland, the Kimberley and Central Australia, Living with native title documents the experiences of RNTBCs, including those that are parties to large mining agreements. Each case study is accompanied by a short update written immediately prior to publication.

Living with native title is a product of the AIATSIS research project Prescribed Bodies Corporate: Research Action Partnerships.

The topic 'Management and staff' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has six sections,

1. Management and staff
2. Managing the organisation
3. The governing body and management
4. Managing staff
5. Staff development and training
6. Case studies

Series of templates and example policy documents for organisations registered under the CATSI Act.

Guide for running general meetings for corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).

Outline of the rights of members of Indigenous corporations.

Factsheet about keeping meeting minutes for Indigenous corporations registered under the CATSI Act.

Guide to developing a corporation's vision, preamble, guiding principles and objectives.

The topic 'Nation building and development' has seven sections,

1. Governance for nation building and development
2. What is nation rebuilding?
3. Governance for nation rebuilding
4. Governance for sustained development
5. Networked governance
6. Kick-starting the process of nation rebuilding
7. Case studies

The NTRU has compiled toolkits for Prescibed Bodies Corporate (PBCs). These toolkits have been created to assist native title holders to access information and resources regarding funding and training opportunities that may be relevant to their PBCs.

The need for such toolkits was highlighted in the 2007 Australian Government report ‘Structures and Processes of Prescribed Bodies Corporate’ (Recommendation 2). 

National PBC Funding & Training Guide 2017

The national toolkit provides information and access to resources about:

1. Funding
   • Searching for government and non-government funding
   • Relevant funding for PBCs available through government sector sorted by subject
   • Resources identifying PBC funding assistance sorted by subject
   • Grant writing assistance and training

2. Training information
3. Other Assistance

In this book, Mantziaris, a barrister, and Martin, an anthropologist, explore the question of the legal framework for native title management following a determination of native title in favour of a particular indigenous group. The book clarifies, for native title practitioners, what is involved in establishing native title corporations and the legal and policy problems that will be faced.

The Native Title Information Handbooks provide a summary of resources and information relating to key areas of native title.

The Handbooks provide information about:

• Native title legislation and case law
• Federal, state and territory governments' native title policies and procedures
• Native title representative bodies, registered native title bodies corporate, government agencies and other organisations involved in native title
• Native title applications and determinations
• Indigenous land use agreements, future acts and other native title related agreements
• Land rights legislation
• Indigenous Land Corporation acquisitions, Indigenous land management and Indigenous protected areas
• Indigenous population profiles.

In 2018, the Central Land Council released the Native Title Story: Introduction to Native Title and Prescribed Bodies Corporate information resource for native title holders in Central Australia.

This booklet explains in plain English the process of native title, what PBCs do, the difference between the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and the Native Title Act, and some hard words commonly used in native title.

For more information about this publication, contact the Central Land Council PBC Support Unit via corporations@clc.org.au.

Overview of native title, ILUAs, NTRBs and PBCs.

Overturning aqua nullius aims to cultivate a new understanding of Aboriginal water rights and interests in the context of Aboriginal water concepts and water policy development in Australia.

This serious of essays draws on a diversity of perspectives to document a significant social and environmental movement that is quietly gathering momentum across this vast Indigenous estate. This series of essays, drawn from an unusual collaboration between university researchers and Indigenous land owners, tells a little-known story about Aboriginal people who are living on, working on and caring for the lands and seas that they own and manage. The ongoing struggles by Indigenous people to conserve and rehabilitate the outstanding natural and cultural values of their ancestral lands deserve wide recognition and acclaim.

Information on the volume can be found here. 

This volume can be purchased directly from The Federation Press by following the link below. 

This handout offers some ways of thinking about grant proposals and advice about the process of  planning and writing a proposal. 

A factsheet by the National Native Title Tribunal on recent changes to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (NTA). Section 60AAA of the NTA is a new provision introduced by the Native Title Legislation Amendment Act 2021 which gives the Tribunal power to assist in dispute management and resolution at the request of native title holders and Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs / PBCs).