Native Title Report 2008

Native Title Report 2008

• Community Guide: Social Justice and Native Title Reports

• Community Guide: Climate change, water and Indigenous knowledge

Contents

• The report overview: It's time to talk

• Chapter 1: the year in review

• Chapter 2: Changes to the native title system – one year on

• Chapter 3: Selected native title cases: 2007-08

• Chapter 4: Climate change context – International and Domestic

• Chapter 5: Indigenous peoples and climate change

• Chapter 6: Indigenous Peoples and Water

• Chapter 7: The Protection of Indigenous knowledge's

• Case Study 1: Climate change and the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders

• Case Study 2: The Murray-Darling Basin – an ecological and human tragedy

• Appendix 1: Native Title Determinations

• Appendix 2: Native Title Statistics 2007-08

• Appendix 3: Social Justice Package – recommendations made in 1995

• Appendix 4: The international framework for engagement of Indigenous people in climate change policy

• Appendix 5: Government Responses to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners' Request for Information in preparation of the Native Title Report 2008

• Appendix 6: Projected Climate Change Impacts and Potential Impacts on Indigenous Communities

• Appendix 7: Overview of Australian water sector legislation and policies

• Appendix 8: Desert Knowledge CRC Protocol for Aboriginal Knowledge and Intellectual Property

• Appendix 9: Acronyms/Abbreviations List

• About the report & Credits

Downloads

• Download full report in PDF | Word

• Chapter Downloads

Also see

• Social Justice Report 2008

Transmittal Letter

18 February 2009

The Hon Robert McClelland MP Attorney-General Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Attorney,

I am pleased to present to you the Native Title Report 2008 in accordance with section 209 of the Native Title Act 1993 .

The report is focused on two main topics. First I give an overview of changes to native title law and policy, and summarise native title cases that were heard during the reporting period.

The second half of the report focuses on climate change and water policy, and makes a number of recommendations aimed at heightening Indigenous participation and engagement in these policy areas. While this includes consideration of the native title implications of these issues, I have also used this opportunity to examine the enjoyment and exercise of human rights by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in light of other changes to policy and legislation made between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 in accordance with section 46C(1)(a) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986.

The report also includes two case studies which demonstrate the potential impacts of climate change on the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders and the Indigenous nations of the Murray Darling Basin.

I look forward to discussing the report with you.

Yours sincerely

Tom Calma Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

Office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

Level 8, Piccadilly Tower, 133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 1042 Telephone: 02 9284 9600 Facsimile: 02 9284 9715

Website: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/index.html