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Regional | Aboriginal

Larrakia settlement a step towards further cultural redress

Under the Land Claims Act, the Kenbi Land Claim in the Northern Territory has given one of nine families’ recognition as traditional owners to 50,000 hectares of land near Darwin. However, Nigel Browne, from one of the families not included, says despite this, all Larrakia peoples will benefit.

While some Larrakia people are upset about the outcome of the Kenbi Land Claim, Nigel Browne says they should not be disheartened.

Larrakia Development Corporation's Nigel Browne says, "My reading of the claim book was not how can we attempt to win this land claim for everyone, but how we can attempt to win this land claim. But as I said to a former Northern Territory Attorney General once, I don't need the federal court or any court to tell me who I am and where I come from.”

Browne says the settlement negotiations involving the LDC means that all Larrakia people will benefit.

“Other families should not be disheartened to the extent where they think they're going to be left out, I mean, commercially given the work the LDC is doing they're not going to be left out,” says Browne.

Browne says the claim is a stepping-stone to greater redress for the Larrakia people.

“So we've taken a contemporary legal artificial construct which is the Larrakia Development Corporation Trust to redress the situation with respect to the Tommy Lyons group being recognised as the only family. So we're using one artificial means to redress another," says Browne.

In the next 20 to 60 days, LDC will receive a number of land transfers from the Cox Peninsula to the western side of the Darwin Harbour for future property development.