In September 2007 Tennant Creek became the first town in Australia to have a native title determination made by consent rather than litigation.
This recognition by the Federal Court was followed immediately by the native title holders, the Central Land Council and the Northern Territory Government signing an Indigenous Land Use Agreement.
The agreement sets out the areas within the town boundary where native title is extinguished, areas within the Municipal Boundary where native title is recognised, how the native titleholders are to be compensated, and confirms that negotiations are to commence toward the creation of a park at the Devil’s Pebbles.
It has been a long, hard road for the Patta Warumungu people of Tennant Creek.
While they won much of their traditional land back under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, they made enormous compromises in their claims. Not only were they forced to drop much of their legitimate claim for country around the town, but the claim dragged on for at least 20 years as they battled with the Northern Territory Government all the way to the High Court.
In addition, under the Land Rights Act, land within the town boundaries was unable to be claimed.
The issue of a native title claim was first discussed in 1996 and the first application made in 1999.
A new application was filed in 2006 which covered all of the town. Negotiations and mediation between the claimants and the Northern Territory Government took some time to work through the many complex issues but a solution which suited everybody was reached.
That agreement meant that the federal court could hand down a consent determination.
Patta Aboriginal Corporation is the native title body representing the Native Title Holders for the town of Tennant Creek.
