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Ruling close on big native title claim

4 February 2007 - One of Australia’s biggest native title claims is due to be settled on Monday, nearly eight years after it was registered.

Federal Court judge Kevin Lindgren will fly to Kalgoorlie to deliver his judgment on the Wongatha claim, covering 160,000sqkm in the northern Goldfields.

The decision is expected to grant native title to Wongatha, Mantjintjarra Ngalia, Koara and Wutha claimants.

If it does, the grant will recognise their connection to the land, and potentially give them non-exclusive rights over most of the claim area, including any mining and pastoral leases, and exclusive possession over any unallocated crown land and leases or reserves already held by or for the benefit of Aboriginal people.

The claim includes areas of seven overlapping claims. There were nearly 400 respondents.

Source: The West Australian

Further information: native title issues page - includes news index and external links