Leonne Velickovic on behalf of Widji People/Western Australia/Allarrow Pty Ltd; Coniston Pty Ltd

In the matter of Leonne Velickovic on behalf of the Widji People, Western Australia was involved in a dispute with Allarrow Pty Ltd and Coniston Pty Ltd. The matter concerned an application for an expedited procedure under the Native Title Act 1993, where the Widji People sought to object to the grant of prospecting licences over their native title land. The primary issue for the court was whether the Widji People had failed to proceed with their objection applications within a reasonable time and whether they had complied with the court's directions. The court had to consider the circumstances under which the Widji People had delayed in lodging their objections and whether the delay was justified or unreasonable. Additionally, the court examined whether the Widji People had adhered to the specific directions given by the court regarding the conduct of the proceedings.

The Federal Court held that the Widji People had indeed failed to proceed with their objection applications within a reasonable time and had not complied with the court's directions. The court found that the Widji People's delay in lodging their objections was both unreasonable and unjustified, given the clear timeline set out in the court's directions. The court also determined that the Widji People had not taken the necessary steps to comply with the procedural directions, which included filing necessary documents and attending scheduled hearings. Consequently, the court dismissed the objection applications, finding that the Widji People had not demonstrated a reasonable excuse for their failure to comply with the court's directions and timelines.

The final outcome of the case was the dismissal of the objection applications made by the Widji People. The court ruled that the delay and non-compliance with directions were significant enough to warrant the dismissal of the objections. This decision reinforced the importance of adhering to procedural timelines and court directions in native title matters, particularly when utilising the expedited procedure under the Native Title Act 1993. The court's dismissal of the objections had the effect of allowing the grant of prospecting licences over the native title land to proceed, as the objections were no longer in place to contest the grant.