Question regarding funding for pastoralists and graziers to defend against native title claims, following increased funding to ATSIC. The Minister outlines funding allocations within the Commonwealth native title system, including legal aid for respondent parties.

AnsweredQoN 211Legislative Council
Asked
19 June 2001
Portfolio
minister representing the Deputy Premier

QuestionView source ↗

In the Howard Government’s sixth budget, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission received an increase in funding of $17.4 million over four years, added to a base allocation of $43.6 million to promote the recognition and protection of native title, with the funds being used to help promote native title representative bodies.  Will the minister please advise what moves have been made to Canberra to ensure that pastoralists and graziers receive funding to defend themselves against native title claims? Hon TOM STEPHENS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Commonwealth’s 2001-02 budget provides for an extra $86 million over four years to be injected into the commonwealth native title system - the National Native Title Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, ATSIC and the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  The additional $19.7 million in the first year comprises $2.9 million to ATSIC to build capacity in native title representative bodies, including improved information technology and training support for staff in best practice and corporate governance; $5.5 million to the Attorney-General’s Department for financial assistance in native title cases - for example, legal aid funding for costs incurred by respondent parties to native title cases; $6 million to the National Native Title Tribunal; and $5.3 million to the Federal Court. Most pastoralists and graziers in Western Australia are represented in native title cases by the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, which receives legal aid funding from the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  For its part, the State Government is committed to mediation on native title issues to achieve agreements that respect the rights and interests of all people.  In adopting this approach, the Government hopes to avoid costly and adversarial litigation.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Commonwealth’s 2001-02 budget provides for an extra $86 million over four years to be injected into the commonwealth native title system - the National Native Title Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, ATSIC and the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  The additional $19.7 million in the first year comprises $2.9 million to ATSIC to build capacity in native title representative bodies, including improved information technology and training support for staff in best practice and corporate governance; $5.5 million to the Attorney-General’s Department for financial assistance in native title cases - for example, legal aid funding for costs incurred by respondent parties to native title cases; $6 million to the National Native Title Tribunal; and $5.3 million to the Federal Court. Most pastoralists and graziers in Western Australia are represented in native title cases by the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, which receives legal aid funding from the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  For its part, the State Government is committed to mediation on native title issues to achieve agreements that respect the rights and interests of all people.  In adopting this approach, the Government hopes to avoid costly and adversarial litigation.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Commonwealth’s 2001-02 budget provides for an extra $86 million over four years to be injected into the commonwealth native title system - the National Native Title Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, ATSIC and the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  The additional $19.7 million in the first year comprises $2.9 million to ATSIC to build capacity in native title representative bodies, including improved information technology and training support for staff in best practice and corporate governance; $5.5 million to the Attorney-General’s Department for financial assistance in native title cases - for example, legal aid funding for costs incurred by respondent parties to native title cases; $6 million to the National Native Title Tribunal; and $5.3 million to the Federal Court. Most pastoralists and graziers in Western Australia are represented in native title cases by the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, which receives legal aid funding from the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  For its part, the State Government is committed to mediation on native title issues to achieve agreements that respect the rights and interests of all people.  In adopting this approach, the Government hopes to avoid costly and adversarial litigation.
The Commonwealth’s 2001-02 budget provides for an extra $86 million over four years to be injected into the commonwealth native title system - the National Native Title Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, ATSIC and the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  The additional $19.7 million in the first year comprises $2.9 million to ATSIC to build capacity in native title representative bodies, including improved information technology and training support for staff in best practice and corporate governance; $5.5 million to the Attorney-General’s Department for financial assistance in native title cases - for example, legal aid funding for costs incurred by respondent parties to native title cases; $6 million to the National Native Title Tribunal; and $5.3 million to the Federal Court. Most pastoralists and graziers in Western Australia are represented in native title cases by the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, which receives legal aid funding from the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  For its part, the State Government is committed to mediation on native title issues to achieve agreements that respect the rights and interests of all people.  In adopting this approach, the Government hopes to avoid costly and adversarial litigation.
Most pastoralists and graziers in Western Australia are represented in native title cases by the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, which receives legal aid funding from the commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.  For its part, the State Government is committed to mediation on native title issues to achieve agreements that respect the rights and interests of all people.  In adopting this approach, the Government hopes to avoid costly and adversarial litigation.

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