Leonne Velickovic on Behalf of Widji People (WC98/27)/Western Australia/Paul Daniel Devine

Case

[2000] NNTTA 353

16 November 2000


NATIONAL NATIVE TITLE TRIBUNAL

Leonne Velickovic on behalf of Widji People (WC98/27)/Western Australia/Paul Daniel Devine, [2000] NNTTA 353 (16 November 2000)

Application No:        WO00/228
IN THE MATTER of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)
- and -
IN THE MATTER of an inquiry into an expedited procedure objection application
Leonne Velickovic on behalf of Widji People (WC98/27) (native title party)
- and -
The State of Western Australia (Government party)
- and -
Paul Daniel Devine (grantee party)
DECISION TO DISMISS OBJECTION APPLICATION

Tribunal:         The Hon C. J. Sumner
Place:               Perth
Date:                16 November 2000

Catchwords:   Native title – future act –proposed grant of prospecting licence – expedited procedure objection application – Government party satisfied that there is no future act because native title is extinguished – Government party makes the grant – Tribunal has no jurisdiction – objection application dismissed.

Legislation:Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) s 148(a)

Cases:David Daniel & Ors (Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people)/Western Australia/Raymond Butler and Stanley McDonald, NNTT WO99/197, Hon CJ Sumner, 11 August 2000

REASONS FOR DECISION TO DISMISS OBJECTION APPLICATION

Background

  1. On 9 February 2000, the Government party gave notice of its intention to grant prospecting licence 26/3002 to Paul Daniel Devine (‘the grantee party’) and included in the notice a statement that it considered that the grant attracted the expedited procedure.  On 7 February 2000 Leonne Velickovic on behalf of Widji People (WC98/27) (‘the native title party’) made an expedited procedure objection application to the Tribunal.

  2. On 3 October 2000, the Crown Solicitor’s Office advised the Tribunal and other parties that the Government party intended to grant the tenement on the basis that, consistent with the findings of the Full Federal Court in Western Australia v Ward [2000] FCA 191; (2000) 170 ALR 159, native title had been extinguished. The grant was made on 25 October 2000.

The question of whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction to conduct an inquiry where the Government party has granted a mining tenement in these circumstances was determined in David Daniel & Ors (Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people)/Western Australia/Raymond Butler and Stanley MacDonald, NNTT WO99/197, Hon CJ Sumner, 11 August 2000. In that matter I decided that the Tribunal has no jurisdiction to conduct a right to negotiate inquiry after the Government party has granted the tenement and that an application should be dismissed pursuant to s 148(a) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) if the tenement is granted.

On 9 November 2000, the native title party was advised of the Tribunal’s intention to dismiss the objection application if the tenements were granted and invited to make a submission.  No submission has been received.

Decision

  1. The Government party has granted prospecting licence 26/3002 and accordingly the objection application is dismissed pursuant to s 148(a) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (as amended).

Hon C. J. Sumner
Deputy President

16 November 2000

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Cases Citing This Decision

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Cases Cited

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Statutory Material Cited

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Western Australia v Ward [2000] FCA 191
Western Australia v Ward [2000] FCA 191