While this discriminatory treatment of Indigenous peoples is of concern what is even more worrying is that, even where minor clashes occur between Indigenous and non-Indigenous rights, native title will be extinguished forever in order to give non-Indigenous
interests full enjoyment of their title.
Not exact matches
The law will recognise consequences on native title short of extinguishment, such as suspension of the
enjoyment of some of the incidents dependent upon the holding of native title, in order to allow
full scope for the
enjoyment of the inconsistent rights or
interests but permits native title to survive and permits the rights or
interests dependent on holding native title to be enjoyed without interfering with countervailing rights or
interests.
In each of these instances where an inconsistency or potential inconsistency exists between the
full enjoyment of Indigenous
interests and the
full enjoyment of non-Indigenous
interests, the amended NTA ensures that non-Indigenous
interests prevail over the Indigenous
interests.
Whether the amended NTA provides the same level of protection to native title as is provided to non-Indigenous title holders is most clearly discerned where the
full enjoyment of native title and the
full enjoyment of non-Indigenous
interests are inconsistent.
Consequently the non-extinguishment principle, which allows non-Indigenous
interests to prevail over native title, may not be appropriate to promote the
full enjoyment of native title rights.
Interests that complement each other in this way must be identified and specifically addressed to ensure
full enjoyment of the traditional connection that Indigenous people have with the land.
Thus the non-extinguishment principle may be seen to represent a compromise between two competing
interests, allowing non-Indigenous
interests to be given
full enjoyment and Indigenous
interests to be suspended where their
enjoyment is inconsistent with the creation or
enjoyment of non-Indigenous
interests and then to resume on their cessation.
The elements of the definition of the principle of non-extinguishment are identified in s238 of the NTA as: native title is not extinguished; where other
interests are inconsistent with the continued existence and
enjoyment of native title rights and
interests, the native title rights and
interests have no effect in relation to the other
interests, and; where the other
interest or its effects cease to operate, native title rights and
interests have
full effect.
Interests that complement each other in this way must be identified and specifically addressed in the Native Title Act to ensure
full enjoyment of the traditional connection that Indigenous people have with the land.
As I explain in chapter 2 [93] the characterisation of native title rights that best survive once all other
interests are given
full enjoyment are ones which are expressed at a high level of specificity; [94] are limited to the conduct of activities on the land rather than the control of activities on the land; [95] and confine those activities to traditional rather than contemporary ones.
The non-extinguishment principle provides for the co-existence of native title and other
interests allowing non-Indigenous
interests to be given
full enjoyment and Indigenous
interests to be suspended where their
enjoyment is inconsistent with the creation or
enjoyment of non-Indigenous
interests and then to resume on their cessation.