Little Desert returned to Aboriginals due to Native Title Claim

Yes, we are creating a fuedal system akin to the middle ages.

In the future, maybe long after my time, there may be a revolt in this country (we are seeing some of these scenes now as unrest spreads in the more populated areas) as politicians pander to the minority lobby groups to justify their own existence.

Bob Hawke blundered when he failed to sign a treaty with Aboriginal Australia in 1988. Tjhis treaty may have solved the growing disparity on land ownership.

And what most people fail to understand is that the land is here for millenia...we for only three score years and ten+....if we are lucky.

I give it 12 mths until the fees go up and permit are required.

Bloody hell that's a bit over the top Glen.

And now the facts:

The court has given 5 tribes non exclusive rights to hunt, fish, camp and generally have a good time on 260 sq kilometres of crown land along the wimmera river. Sounds like they got suckered to me.

A few Cronulla boys on this site?
Some tokenistic redress of the rip-off and there's this ignorant outrage!
Put your brains and your hearts into gear.

I don't think they got title, just access. Given that it was public area anyway I don't see what the big deal is.

Dave

First of all Glen love the Cruiser photo looks great. Just returned from Cape York where everything is owned and more importantly controlled by you know who. I must say this, I'm in no way a racist by anyone standards so to me this issue is not about race but rather about preservation of Australia for all. As long as management of the area in the desert is carried out and maintained all will enjoy now and forever. However if any one group of people can't manage a region well it should be taken of them (management that is not the land). For example at the tip of cape york there is a run down condemmed resort once owned by Austrlian Airlines, due to native title it was handed back to the local aboriginal community, who since owning it have effectively turned the place into a rubbish tip. They asked the gov't for 5 mil to rebuild the place to wich the labour gov't in queensland responded with "Yes we will give you 5 mil but the gov't will rebuild and manage the facility and the local community can receiv 28% of the profit" sound like a good deal well the local natives rejected the idea and stated we want 100% control and return of revenue to which the gov't replied "go and get ???????" Anyway the point is that the area is run down and mismanaged and now no one is beneffiting. What do you do? What can we do? Well just about nothing but get in our cruiser pay the fees and enjoy what is left for what it is.

We stole the place off them - why do we get so upset when they ask for it back and charge fees and set their own rules?? It was their place to begin with - don't forget that!!!

After travelling Australia for a year and working with a lot of Aboriginals - I cannot express how misunderstood Aboriginals are by mainstream Australia. They just want life to be the way it was 217 years ago - we cannot give them that (or should I say - we WILL NOT give them that). Both sides are now stuck in an awful mess - neither knowing how to deal with the situation they find themselves in.

Narrow-minded negative comments only inflame an already difficult situation.

Paying to use land that you do not own (and never really owned in the first place!)is standard procedure around the world! We need to start dealing with the fact that WE are the foreigners’ who have made claims on their land - not the other way around.

-myfourby

G'day, Just remember Glenn, you cast the first stone, this time. I can hear a drumming sound!@#$%^.......wasn't it some so called public figure who said 'you idiot'

Andy,
I disagree, I think there is no harm in discussing these things. I am most impressed that the various contributers have said what they think, and not attacked the other contributers.

I want to add for Glenn and others that according to The Age today that the Federal Court, (not any government), has recognised
"non-exclusive native title rights to hunt, fish, gather and camp in Crown reserves....along the banks of the Wimmera River".
I see that as just more of the same as all of us are able to do anyway. No mention there of Nat Parks?
They were also awarded 45 hectares of culturally signficant land. No big deal there is it? 45 hectares! If it gives a group of people some sense of self-worth it is a good thing!
Also they were granted an advisory role in the management of some national parks and wilderness areas. My observation of Nat Parks is that there are so many bloody committees and so many rules, and I get so bleep off with them, that it won't change a thing!

I get annoyed by some of the silly permits and things we all get heated about, but if we are fair and honest, and not led by fear of what we don't know, we have no real concerns.

People on this site get heated, and rightly so, about anti-4X4 crap, all of us being branded by the stupidity of a few. In the same way most Australians accuse all aborigines of the actions of a few in places like Alice. When you travel to communities and see that the majority of blackfellas are just people lost to our society and in need of help. In many ways we share much with them. Stuffed if I know what the answer is though.

Ian

Congratulations on the free discussion with regard to Glenn's Post - well done.

Have you heard Claire Martin is talking about handing back all Territory parks to the indigenous ! For a start what makes her think the parks are hers to give away and secondly you just need to go down to the rock and see how well indigenous management has worked down there. Recently the mob from fat pizza took photos of the rock and are now looking like getting fined for it. $25 per person entry fee, they dont want you to climb it, you cant fly near it , soon you wont be able to look at it!
Great move Claire!

To all who have responded,

I have to admit, I should have been more careful in the way I submitted the original post. I certainly DID NOT post it to create any sort of racist comments or aggression. I was mearly trying to advise others in this great multicultural country or ours, and I do mean ours, each and every one of us humans who live in this great country, of what had happened in one of Victoria's great National Parks. I am concerned about the way the fee structure and access for us may change, that is all.

I do apologise if I misled anyone in the original post.

Regards

Glenn