State departments and agencies should ensure that all future act notices issued under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (the Act) are sent to the correct address for service for the relevant native title group.
When should future act notices be sent:
- Notification of a future act should be sent to any relevant representative bodies, registered native title bodies corporate and registered native title claimants in relation to the land or waters that will be affected by the act, or acts of that class (see e.g. public housing, reservations, public infrastructure: ss 24JAA 4JA, 24KA of the Act).
- Certain future acts do not require notification (see low impact future acts: s 24LA).
- Where there is no registered native title body corporate or registered native title claimants, First Nations Legal & Research Services (as the representative body) should be notified.
- Unregistered claimants are not required to be notified under the Act as they are not a ‘native title party’ for the purpose of future act provisions.
Note: this guidance is not intended as a substitute for the Act. Departments should refer to Part 2, Division 3 of the Act to determine notification requirements (and seek legal advice on this if required).
Addresses for services
The drop down menu below will help you understand who to contact about a future act in relation to a native title determination or application.
If you are a Prescribed Body Corporate or Claim Group and your listed address for service is incorrect, please contact Trang Dang, Director, Land Justice Unit (trang.dang@dpc.vic.gov.au).
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