Secure tenure for home ownership and economic development on land subject to native title [Oct 2012, Feb 2013]

Abstract

This paper explores approaches to enabling home ownership and economic development possibilities to be realised on Aboriginal lands, with particular reference to Aboriginal Lands Trust reserve lands in Western Australia which are also subject to native title rights and interests. Specifically, the paper assesses the suitability of different land tenures available in Western Australia for enabling home ownership and economic development against a number of principles for Indigenous land tenure reform. It discusses three possible options for achieving secure tenure outcomes for Aboriginal people on Aboriginal land while also retaining the communal elements of property ownership and decision making valued by Aboriginal people. We also outline the next stage of our research.