More than a decade after the High Court's Mabo decision, the native
title rights of all Torres Strait islander communities will soon be
recognised.
The Federal Court is sitting in the region to finalise native title claims.
In I992 the High Court recognised the right of Murray Islanders to their
traditional land.
Today Justice Richard Cooper will travel to Darnley Island on the
eastern fringe of the Torres Strait to hand down the first of several
consent determinations.
Over the next week he will travel across the region to recognise the
exclusive native title rights of the remaining five islander communities
and finalise their claims.
The determinations are the culmination of several years of sometimes
bitter negotiations and court actions involving the Queensland
Government and other parties. |
