Ollan Dimer and Others on behalf of Ngadju/Western Australia/Mawson West Ltd; PlatX Ltd

In the Federal Court of Australia, the case of Ollan Dimer and others on behalf of Ngadju/Western Australia/Mawson West Ltd; PlatX Ltd involved a dispute over the granting of prospecting and exploration licences within native title land. The applicants sought a determination from the court regarding the legality of these acts within the native title area. The respondents, who held the native title rights, initially opposed the granting of the licences due to logistical difficulties in executing a State Deed. However, the native title party as a whole eventually consented to the determination, leading to the court's involvement.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the granting of prospecting and exploration licences within the native title area would constitute a future act under the Native Title Act 1993. The court had to determine if the consent of the native title holders, as a whole, could override the initial opposition and allow for the determination to proceed. Additionally, the court had to consider the implications of the regional standard heritage agreement and how it related to the consent of the native title party.

The court found that the native title party's consent, as a whole, was sufficient to allow for the determination of the future act. The court noted that the logistical difficulties faced by the respondents in executing the State Deed did not preclude the consent from being valid. The court also considered the regional standard heritage agreement and its relevance to the consent of the native title party. Ultimately, the court determined that the granting of prospecting and exploration licences within the native title area was permissible under the circumstances presented.

The final orders of the court were that the prospecting and exploration licences could be granted within the native title area, as the native title party, as a whole, had consented to the determination. The court's decision allowed for the mining activities to proceed, while also recognising the rights of the native title holders and their consent to the future act.