Getting started with the native title work procedures
Australian law recognises native title as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights and interests in land and waters, held in accordance with their traditional laws and customs.
A native title assessment is the process by which the state identifies:
- whether native title continues to exist over particular land or waters
- where native title may exist, the steps to follow in order to carry out a land or resource dealing.
The native title work procedures are used by all Queensland Government departments and agencies to ensure native title is properly addressed before undertaking land and resource dealings.
These include dealings such as the:
- grant of a lease
- grant of a commercial fishing licence
- construction of a public work on a reserve
- creation of a national park management plan.
How to use the procedures and decision tools
- Read the Introduction to the native title work procedures (PDF, 1.6MB) and complete the Introduction to native title eLearning course.
- Use the native title work procedures to consider native title for the proposed dealing. The procedures have been divided into modules and set out in a specific order to follow. The order is outlined in the Native title assessment pathway (PDF, 2.0MB). Starting with module AA, move through each module and stop when you can meet all of a module’s requirements. To help you make a decision, we have created decision tools that step you through a series of questions to indicate whether or not the module applies to the proposed dealing.
- If you need to stop at any point while using the decision tool, you can save your responses and return to complete the tool within 24 hours. If you need to start again, use the Reset button at the bottom of the tool.
- When you have arrived at your decision using a decision tool, use the Print button at the bottom of the tool to print a copy for your records.
QNTIME
While completing a native title work procedure, you may need to access the Queensland Native Title Information Management Environment (QNTIME). QNTIME is an online native title information tool which can be used to help with the native title assessment process.
To gain access to the system, you must be employed by a Queensland Government state department or a 100%-owned Queensland Government corporation. To register for an account, email gov-support@spatial-qld-support.atlassian.net or call 3330 4445.
QNTIME contains:
- information and spatial depictions of native title claims, determinations of native title and Indigenous land use agreements
- representative Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bodies
- research into tenure and usage history
- conclusions of extinguishment and compulsory acquisitions of native title.
QNTIME data is also available as a Web Map Service accessible through:
- Queensland Spatial Catalogue – search for 'QNTIME'
- Open Data Portal – search for 'native title assessment'
- Queensland Globe – click Layers, then Add layers, scroll down to 'Society' and select 'Native title research and assessment'.
More information
Contact your department’s Native Title Contact Officer if you have questions about the procedures or other native title issues. If they can't help you, they will seek advice from the Department of Resources. If you don’t have a Native Title Contact Officer in your department, contact the Department of Resources directly.
The following documents may also help when completing a work procedure: