The Federal Court will be sitting next week at various locations near Norseman and near Balladonia, 200km east of Norseman, to hear evidence from Aboriginal people from the Ngadju native title claim.  

The Ngadju claim extends from west of Norseman to Caiguna in the east, embracing the traditional country of the Ngadju people who are represented by the Goldfields Land and Sea Council (GLSC).  

Commencing Monday 15^th June, Federal Court judge Shane Marshall will hear early evidence from several claimants, including ‘preservation’ evidence from aged or unwell witnesses who might be at risk of passing on before the court concludes its deliberations.  

“We applaud the Court’s willingness to hear evidence on the Ngadju people’s traditional country, instead of the unfamiliar surroundings of a distant court room, and for allowing the early recording of evidence from older people,” said GLSC CEO Brian Wyatt .  

“This initiative will allow all parties to better assess the strength of the Ngadju people’s claim, and do so sooner, which should provide more effective progress of the claim through the native title process, hopefully resulting in a negotiated settlement,” Mr Wyatt said.  

The Ngadju people are willing to negotiate an out-of-court settlement of their claim, which takes account of the rights and interests of other land holders. Evidence presented at next week’s hearings will form part of the information provided to the State Government to consider in the context of the settlement negotiations.  

The Ngadju people maintain very strong physical and spiritual connection to the area and continue to live on and/or visit their traditional land for a range of cultural activities, such as hunting, collecting bush foods and medicines, protecting their important sites and caring for the country generally.  

The claim is registered under the Native Title Act 1993, and as such it attracts procedural rights for the claimants, including the right to negotiate third-party mining and tenure proposals.  

Media contact: Brian Wyatt 0417 970413; David Berry 0417 963089