SA’s biggest native title deal signed

May 14, 2008 The largest native title agreement in South Australian history has been signed at a cattle station in the Gawler Ranges region.

It involves 24 Indigenous Land Use Agreements made between 19 pastoralists and members of the Barngarla and Kokatha peoples.

SA Attorney-General Michael Atkinson says the agreements cover a total area of 50,000 square kilometres of the Gawler Ranges to the north of Eyre Peninsula.

“That will cover many sheep and cattle stations in the north of South Australia and stop any dispute about native title ending up in court and costing taxpayers a bomb,” he said.

“We’re making sure that disputes about native title doesn’t go to court and, when native title cases go to court it bleeds the taxpayers.

“We want to avoid that at all costs.”

SA’s biggest native title deal signed – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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Creative accounting robs Aborigines of funds

Joel Gibson and Debra Jopson
August 21, 2007

HUNDREDS of millions of dollars the Commonwealth claims to have spent on indigenous affairs has either never been spent, been used to benefit all Australians or gone towards opposing native title claims.

A significant portion of the billions the Government has said it has spent since 2000, climbing annually to $3 billion last year, was either underspent or the result of creative accounting, an Age investigation has found.

Over the past six years, at least $30 million the Government promoted as being for Aborigines was used to oppose indigenous native title and compensation claims……………………Almost $250,000 spent over the past six years on courts and tribunals sorting out native title issues has been counted as money for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders……………………

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/creative-accounting-robs-aborigines-of-funds/2007/08/20/1187462178178.html