The Wire

The government appointed body that replaced ATSIC, the National Indigenous Council, released a set of draft of principles this month, which has some observers concerns about the future direction of land rights. The principles call for consideration of “how the now considerable Indigenous land base might be best used to facilitate the economic development of Indigenous people, including home ownership and entepreneurship.” The “Indigenous Land Tenure Principles,” recommend that traditional lands be used for economic purposes in a mixed system of freehold and leasehold interests. But there are concerns the principles could lead to economic development by non-indigenous people of Aboriginal land and reduced control by traditional owners. Larissa Behrendt is a Professor of Law and Indigenous Studies and the Director of the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney. She told Alma Mistry she was concerned about several aspects of the principles. She began by outlining concerns that the National Indigenous Council is not a legitimate representative body.