The Federal Court will recognise the native title rights of groups from the Ngaliya Warlpiri people on 3 July 2013
The Federal Court will be sitting at 8 Mile Bore on Mt Doreen Station Perpetual Pastoral Lease (PPL), approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs, to make a determination by consent of native title over Mt Doreen PPL.
Justice Reeves will preside over the Court to recognise the non-exclusive native title rights of the Jiri/Kuyukurlangu, Kumpu, Kunajarrayi, Mikanji, Pikilyi, Pirrpirrpakarnu, Wantungurru, Wapatali/Mawunji, Warlukurlangu, Yamaparnta, Yarripiri and Yarungkanyi/Murrku estate groups, who are part of the Ngaliya Warlpiri people.
The native title claimants’ country includes the area in which Mt Doreen Station is located.
The current owners, the Braitling family, will continue to operate Mt Doreen as a pastoral lease.
CLC Director David Ross congratulated the Ngaliya Warlpiri native title holders and paid tribute to claimants who have passed away during the application process.
An initial application was filed with the Court in 2005 after a mining company was granted an exploration licence over an area of significant cultural importance to the native title holders on Mt Doreen Station.
The native title holders were keen to protect these areas of high significance and instructed CLC to lodge a native title application over the area. This application was withdrawn on 11 October 2011 and a new native title application over the whole of the pastoral lease was filed with the Court on 14 October 2011.