Aboriginal

Australia

Aboriginal land anger

The Australian government is under attack from almost all sides for its latest bid to defuse mounting anger over Aboriginal land rights through proposed legislation. Under broad proposals outlined in late July, Aborigines would lose any right to claim title to residential land and to pastoral and tourism industry leases, although existing reservations and hunting and fishing rights would continue.

Mining leases would revert to native title on expiry, with extension and new development subject to negotiation with Aboriginal owners. The premiers of Victoria and Western Australia joined miners and some Aboriginal spokesmen in slamming the plans, which would exempt vast tracts of the country from claims fot native title under the High Court’s Mabo decision.

The decision acknowledged Aboriginal rights as the indigenous people before colonisation. The acting chairman of

the umbrella Aboriginal and Torrse Strait Islander Com mission, Sol Bellear, said the proposals were a big step forward from earlier “slimy” guidelines but were a compromise that represented only a starting point for further negotiations.

The Western Australia Premier said the government was in total disarray and he called on the prime minister, Paul Keating to make a detailed public statement.