Practice Areas

• Native Title and claims resolution – Making, authorising and prosecuting native title claims over land and sea. Legal representation and appearing on behalf of native title claimants and respondents in the Federal Court of Australia. Preparing Traditional Owner evidence and expert evidence and prosecuting native title claims to a final determination. Tenure resolution and advice on extinguishment of native title. Facilitation and mediation of intra/inter-Indigenous disputes. Assistance with Court ordered mediation and Court case management.
• Native Title Compensation claims – Assistance with making and prosecuting native title compensation claims.  On 13 March 2019, the High Court deliver its Timber Creek native title compensation decision which sets out the approach to be followed to resolve native title compensation claims. The High Court awarded the Ngaliwurru and Nungali people just over $2.5 million for the loss of native title rights over some 127 hectares of land: see http://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/downloadPdf/2019/HCA/7
• Agreement Making – Assistance and representation on future acts and right to negotiate matters. Recognition and protection of native title rights and cultural heritage. Resolving operation of parties rights and interests through ILUAs. Future act processes and cultural heritage and native title compliance. Negotiation of community benefits and non-native title outcomes. Implementation of ILUAs.
• Heritage Protection – Cultural heritage protection agreements. Cultural heritage protection and compliance. Heritage survey processes.
• Corporations -Designing rule books. Incorporating Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBC) and nominated bodies corporate. Assistance with PBC decision making. Advice on Directors duties. Representing PBCs in future acts and cultural heritage matters. Advice on governance and compliance.
• Trusts – Negotiating trust deeds and the establishment of trusts. Advice on Trustees duties.
• Discrimination and Equal Opportunity – Advice and representation on racial discrimination matters, employment and workplace discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination and sex discrimination.
• Fisheries Law – Advice on State and Commonwealth fisheries management legislation, policy, quotas and management. Advice and representation on prosecuting or defending recreational and licenced fishing offences.
• Offshore Projects – Advice on offshore projects such as aquaculture projects. Advice on process and environmental compliance.
• Fishing and Hunting Rights– Providing advice and representation in relation to traditional hunting prosecutions under State and Commonwealth legislation and regulations.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Act claims – Preparing and making land claims under the Aboriginal Land Act (Qld) 1991 and Torres Strait Islander Land Act (Qld) 1991.

 

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