This Amendment Act responds to an historical pattern of Aboriginal native title holders in the Northern Territory agreeing to surrender native title over land in exchange for greater security of tenure provided by the land rights title. The Amendment adds a description of the land to be scheduled. This allows for further Indigenous communities to be granted localised decision making regarding their land and greater security of tenure.
Schedule 1
The Act adds land subject to traditional land claims in the Kakadu region, in the Northern Territory (Kakadu Land), to Schedule 1 of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth) (ALRA). This enables Kakadu Land to be granted as Aboriginal land.
The Act repeals the definitions set out under s 3 referring to Alligator Rivers Area (No. 3), Gimbat and Goodparla. It also adds to the end of Section 10 of the ALRA that any estate or interest in the area of land described as 'Kakadu' that is held by the Director of National Parks (Director) is taken to be an estate or interest held by the Crown.
Schedule 2
The Act adds land in the town of Urapunga, subject to the Township of Urapunga Indigenous Land Use Agreement (Urapunga Land) to Part 4 of Schedule 1, of the ALRA. This enables Urapunga Land to be granted as Aboriginal land.
Schedule 3
The Act adds land in the town of Anthony Lagoon, to Part 4 of Schedule 1, of the ALRA. This enables Anthony Lagoon to be granted as Aboriginal land.
Reception
Against a backdrop of efforts to restrict the application of the Act to unalienated Crown lands and to lands previously listed, this amendment received criticism for the delay in its introduction and application to specific cases.