National Native Title Tribunal facts for kids
The National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) is an independent group in Australia. It was set up in 1993 by a law called the Native Title Act 1993. Its main job is to help and protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are Australia's first peoples. The NNTT helps manage and process applications for native title in Australia. Native title is about the traditional rights and interests of Indigenous Australians in land and waters.
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What the NNTT Does
The National Native Title Tribunal has a President and other Members. These people are chosen by the Governor-General of Australia. Their job is to make decisions, look into issues, and help different groups with native title applications. They also help with Indigenous land use agreements (ILUAs). These are agreements about how land can be used.
The NNTT also has a Native Title Registrar. This person helps support the Tribunal. Everyone working at the NNTT has specific jobs under the Native Title Act.
The NNTT is a Commonwealth Government agency. This means it's part of the Australian government. It helps people reach agreements about native title. The Federal Court of Australia is the court that officially decides if native title exists. Since 2012, the Federal Court has also helped manage the NNTT's daily operations.
How the NNTT is Set Up
The President is in charge of running the Tribunal. The Governor-General appoints the President and Members for up to five years. The Members help by:
- giving information and support
- helping people understand native title and its processes
- assisting with negotiations for Indigenous land use agreements and future act hearings.
The Registrar has special duties under the Native Title Act 1993. This person is also responsible for managing the NNTT's employees.
NNTT's Main Jobs
The Tribunal has several important roles:
- It helps groups agree on new activities or developments, called future acts. It also makes decisions if groups can't agree.
- It checks all new native title claims. This is called the "registration test." Claims must pass this test to get certain rights over the land.
- It tells the public when native title applications are registered. This means putting ads in newspapers and sending letters to people who have an interest in the area.
- It keeps three important lists (registers) about native title in Australia. These are the Register of Native Title Claims, the National Native Title Register, and the Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements.
- It helps negotiate other types of agreements, like Indigenous Land Use Agreements.
If people involved in the native title process need help or information, the Tribunal can provide it.
Where to Find the NNTT
The Tribunal has offices in several cities across Australia. You can find them in Perth, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Groups That Help with Native Title
When an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander group makes a native title claim, they are first called a prescribed body corporate (PBC). Once their native title is officially decided, they become a Registered Native Title Body Corporate, or RNTBC. These RNTBCs are registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC).
There are also groups called "representative Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander bodies" (RATSIBs). These groups are recognized by the government to represent native title holders. They also talk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in specific areas. There is a network of these groups, known as native title representative bodies (NTRBs) and native title service providers (NTSPs). They help native title claimants and holders. The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) helps fund 14 of these groups. Some of these include land councils and RNTBCs.
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