Sean Brennan reviews two key sets of changes contained in the 2006 Amendment Act. It does so against the backdrop of the Land Rights Act’s chequered political history, in which bipartisan endorsement and ideological antagonism have jostled for priority.

The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006 introduced some of the most dramatic changes yet proposed to the Act but for the most part they slipped under the radar of media and public scrutiny. Belatedly, the media paid the Bill some attention and activist organisations GetUp and ANTaR ensured a last-minute flurry of...

The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006 (the Bill) proposes a number of significant changes to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. It While many of the changes are commended there are serious concerns with other aspects of the Bill. This submission by Sean Brennan deals with two issues: • the...

When people talk of a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, the debate is often about high-level principles. Issues like sovereignty, self-determination and constitutional guarantees are undeniably important. People hold different views about them and these are debates we need to have if Australia is to move forward. For many people, however, a key question...

If Australia does choose to go down the path of modern treaty-making then inevitably it will be influenced by the opportunities created and the limitations imposed by the native title system, argues Sean Brennan.