Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 1336

❓ Question seeks details on WA's native title compensation liabilities, including calculations, payments, and budget accounting. The answer states liabilities are unquantifiable and refers to budget papers for payment information.

AnsweredQoN 1336Legislative Assembly

Asked

2 December 2025

Member

Mr Basil Zempilas

Portfolio

Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet's Annual Report for 2024-25, specifically the State's Native Title Compensation Liabilities, where it stated "An estimate of the financial impact of these contingent liabilities, ... has not been disclosed as doing so would seriously prejudice the position of the State in relation to native title compensation matters", and I ask: (a) To date, has Treasury calculated the total amount of WA's native title compensation liabilities? If yes, please provide a summary of the methodology used; (b) If no to (a), why not; (c) What is the total sum the State has paid to claimants to discharge its compensation liabilities to date; (d) How many of these sums involved compound interest claims; and (e) Does Treasury currently account for its total compensation liabilities in the State Budget?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

17 February 2026

Response time

4 days

(a)-(b) Total Native Title compensation liabilities cannot be reliably quantified as they depend on the detailed identification of compensable acts, and the impact on Title and connection, and remain subject to emerging legal and/or negotiation processes.
(c)-(e) I refer the Member to the State Budget Papers.

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