Commonwealth of Australia v Clifton

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 06 December 2007
• Neutral Citation: [2007] FCAFC 190
• Court: Full Federal Court (Australia)

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Commonwealth of Australia v Clifton [2007] FCAFC 190

NATIVE TITLE – respondent to an application for a native title determination seeking a determination of native title – reliance placed on s 225 of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) – respondent not authorised by native title claim group as required by s61 of the Act – significance of statutory requirement that a determination of native title must be made in accordance with the procedures of the Act – consideration of jurisdictional provisions of Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) – Held: the Federal Court may only make a determination of native title in favour of a person who has made an application under s13 of the Act.

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 22

Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 39B(1A)(c)

Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) ss 3, 10, 13, 60, 61, 62, 63,64, 66, 67, 81, 84, 94, 190, 213, 225 251, 253

Native Title Amendment Act 1998 (Cth) Sch 2

Native Title Amendment Bill 1997 (No 2) (Cth)

Federal Court Rules O 5 r 1

Kokatha Native Title Claim v South Australia(2005) 143 FCR 544 cited

Kokatha People v State of South Australia [2007] FCA 1057 affirmed

McKenzie v South Australia (2005) 214 ALR 214cited

Moses v Western Australia (2007) 160 FCR 148approved

Western Australia v Ward (2000) 99 FCR 316 discussed

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA v DANIEL ERNEST CLIFTON, ROGER JAMES THOMAS, HENRY CROFT, ELLIOTT McNAMARA, BARRY CROFT, LORRAINE DARE, PHOEBE WANGANEEN, HOWARD RICHARDS, JODY JOSEPH MILLER, MARLENE WEETRA-HEIGHT, RAYMOND WEETRA, LAVINIA HERRON, REGINALD DODD, LAURIE STUART, MILLIE WARREN, MARK MCKENZIE, STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, NINGIL RICHARD CHARLES REID, ABORIGINAL LEGAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT INC, ALEXANDRINA PTY LTD, ANDAMOOKA PROGRESS & OPAL MINERS ASSOCIATION INC, BUCKLEBOO NOMINEES PTY LTD, PATRICIA BUCKNER, ORMAN BUCKNER, COOMBEDOWN RESOURCES NL, TANIA LEE CURLIJA, T DUURSMA, J DUURSMA, ESTA UTILITIES, ANTHONY F FLINT, ROBERT WILLIAM GREENFIELD, DOUGLAS MAXWELL GREENFIELD, KEITH HUTCHINSON GREENFIELD, GUNSON RESOURCES LIMITED, CRAIG DAVID HARRIS, HAVILAH RESOURCES NL, HANS HOLLERRIEDER, PAUL STEPHEN MANNING, COLLEEN MARY MANNING, MINOTAUR OPERATIONS PTY LTD, MINOTAUR RESOURCES LTD, MOULD NOMINEES PTY LTD, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF ROXBY DOWNS, NONNING PASTORAL COMPANY PTY LTD, PARTACOONA PAST CO PTY LIMITED ACN 061 587 764, RMG SERVICES PTY LTD, CYNTHIA SAVAGE, ROBERT SAVAGE, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN APIARISTS ASSOCIATION INC, STRAITS EXPLORATION (AUSTRALIA) P/L, TASMAN RESOURCES NL, TECK COMINCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED, UNALLA PASTORAL CO PTY LTD, UNO PTY LTD, URANIUM ONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON NICKEL WEST PTY LTD AND YADLAMALKA PROPRIETORS

SAD 118 OF 2007

BRANSON, SUNDBERG AND DOWSETT JJ

6 DECEMBER 2007

ADELAIDE

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
SOUTH AUSTRALIA DISTRICT REGISTRY	SAD 118 OF 2007

ON APPEAL FROM A JUDGE OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BETWEEN:

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Appellant

AND:

DANIEL ERNEST CLIFTON First Respondent ROGER JAMES THOMAS Second Respondent HENRY CROFT Third Respondent ELLIOTT McNAMARA Fourth Respondent BARRY CROFT Fifth Respondent LORRAINE DARE Sixth Respondent PHOEBE WANGANEEN Seventh Respondent HOWARD RICHARDS Eighth Respondent JODY JOSEPH MILLER Ninth Respondent MARLENE WEETRA-HEIGHT Tenth Respondent RAYMOND WEETRA Eleventh Respondent LAVINIA HERRON Twelfth Respondent REGINALD DODD Thirteenth Respondent LAURIE STUART Fourteenth Respondent MILLIE WARREN Fifteenth Respondent MARK MCKENZIE Sixteenth Respondent STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Seventeenth Respondent NINGIL RICHARD CHARLES REID Eighteenth Respondent ABORIGINAL LEGAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT INC Nineteenth Respondent ALEXANDRINA PTY LTD Twentieth Respondent ANDAMOOKA PROGRESS & OPAL MINERS ASSOCIATION INC Twenty-First Respondent BUCKLEBOO NOMINEES PTY LTD Twenty-Second Respondent PATRICIA BUCKNER Twenty-Third Respondent ORMAN BUCKNER Twenty-Fourth Respondent COOMBEDOWN RESOURCES NL Twenty-Fifth Respondent TANIA LEE CURLIJA Twenty-Sixth Respondent T DUURSMA Twenty-Seventh Respondent J DUURSMA Twenty-Eighth Respondent ESTA UTILITIES Twenty-Ninth Respondent ANTHONY F FLINT Thirtieth Respondent ROBERT WILLIAM GREENFIELD Thirty-First Respondent DOUGLAS MAXWELL GREENFIELD Thirty-Second Respondent KEITH HUTCHINSON GREENFIELD Thirty-Third Respondent GUNSON RESOURCES LIMITED (ABN 32 090 603 642) Thirty-Fourth Respondent CRAIG DAVID HARRIS Thirty-Fifth Respondent HAVILAH RESOURCES NL (ABN 39 077 435 250) Thirty-Sixth Respondent HANS HOLLERRIEDER Thirty-Seventh Respondent PAUL STEPHEN MANNING Thirty-Eighth Respondent COLLEEN MARY MANNING Thirty-Ninth Respondent MINOTAUR OPERATIONS PTY LTD (ABN 75 108 925 284) Fortieth Respondent MINOTAUR RESOURCES LTD Forty-First Respondent MOULD NOMINEES PTY LTD Forty-Second Respondent MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF ROXBY DOWNS Forty-Third Respondent NONNING PASTORAL COMPANY PTY LTD Forty-Fifth Respondent PARTACOONA PAST CO PTY LIMITED ACN 061 587 764 Forty-Sixth Respondent RMG SERVICES PTY LTD Forty-Seventh Respondent CYNTHIA SAVAGE Forty-Eighth Respondent ROBERT SAVAGE Forty-Ninth Respondent SOUTH AUSTRALIAN APIARISTS ASSOCIATION INC Fiftieth Respondent STRAITS EXPLORATION (AUSTRALIA) P/L Fifty-First Respondent TASMAN RESOURCES NL Fifty-Second Respondent TECK COMINCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Fifty-Third Respondent TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED Fifty-Fourth Respondent UNALLA PASTORAL CO PTY LTD Fifty-Fifth Respondent UNO PTY LTD Fifty- Sixth Respondent URANIUM ONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD (ABN 15 069 420 462) Fifty-Seventh Respondent BHP BILLITON OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD (ACN 007 835 761) Fifty-Eighth Respondent BHP BILLITON NICKEL WEST PTY LTD (ACN 004 185 598) Fifty-Ninth Respondent YADLAMALKA PROPRIETORS Sixtieth Respondent

JUDGES:	BRANSON, SUNDBERG AND DOWSETT JJ
DATE OF ORDER:	6 DECEMBER 2007
WHERE MADE:	ADELAIDE

THE COURT ORDERS THAT the appeal be dismissed.

Note: Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
SOUTH AUSTRALIA DISTRICT REGISTRY	SAD 118 OF 2007

ON APPEAL FROM A JUDGE OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BETWEEN:

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Appellant

AND:

DANIEL ERNEST CLIFTON First Respondent ROGER JAMES THOMAS Second Respondent HENRY CROFT Third Respondent ELLIOTT McNAMARA Fourth Respondent BARRY CROFT Fifth Respondent LORRAINE DARE Sixth Respondent PHOEBE WANGANEEN Seventh Respondent HOWARD RICHARDS Eighth Respondent JODY JOSEPH MILLER Ninth Respondent MARLENE WEETRA-HEIGHT Tenth Respondent RAYMOND WEETRA Eleventh Respondent LAVINIA HERRON Twelfth Respondent REGINALD DODD Thirteenth Respondent LAURIE STUART Fourteenth Respondent MILLIE WARREN Fifteenth Respondent MARK MCKENZIE Sixteenth Respondent STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Seventeenth Respondent NINGIL RICHARD CHARLES REID Eighteenth Respondent ABORIGINAL LEGAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT INC Nineteenth Respondent ALEXANDRINA PTY LTD Twentieth Respondent ANDAMOOKA PROGRESS & OPAL MINERS ASSOCIATION INC Twenty-First Respondent BUCKLEBOO NOMINEES PTY LTD Twenty-Second Respondent PATRICIA BUCKNER Twenty-Third Respondent ORMAN BUCKNER Twenty-Fourth Respondent COOMBEDOWN RESOURCES NL Twenty-Fifth Respondent TANIA LEE CURLIJA Twenty-Sixth Respondent T DUURSMA Twenty-Seventh Respondent J DUURSMA Twenty-Eighth Respondent ESTA UTILITIES Twenty-Ninth Respondent ANTHONY F FLINT Thirtieth Respondent ROBERT WILLIAM GREENFIELD Thirty-First Respondent DOUGLAS MAXWELL GREENFIELD Thirty-Second Respondent KEITH HUTCHINSON GREENFIELD Thirty-Third Respondent GUNSON RESOURCES LIMITED (ABN 32 090 603 642) Thirty-Fourth Respondent CRAIG DAVID HARRIS Thirty-Fifth Respondent HAVILAH RESOURCES NL (ABN 32 077 435 250) Thirty-Sixth Respondent HANS HOLLERRIEDER Thirty-Seventh Respondent PAUL STEPHEN MANNING Thirty-Eighth Respondent COLLEEN MARY MANNING Thirty-Ninth Respondent MINOTAUR OPERATIONS PTY LTD (ABN 75 108 925 284) Fortieth Respondent MINOTAUR RESOURCES LTD Forty-First Respondent MOULD NOMINEES PTY LTD Forty-Second Respondent MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF ROXBY DOWNS Forty-Third Respondent NONNING PASTORAL COMPANY PTY LTD Forty-Fifth Respondent PARTACOONA PAST CO PTY LIMITED ACN 061 587 764 Forty-Sixth Respondent RMG SERVICES PTY LTD Forty-Seventh Respondent CYNTHIA SAVAGE Forty-Eighth Respondent ROBERT SAVAGE Forty-Ninth Respondent SOUTH AUSTRALIAN APIARISTS ASSOCIATION INC Fiftieth Respondent STRAITS EXPLORATION (AUSTRALIA) P/L Fifty-First Respondent TASMAN RESOURCES NL Fifty-Second Respondent TECK COMINCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Fifty-Third Respondent TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED Fifty-Fourth Respondent UNALLA PASTORAL CO PTY LTD Fifty-Fifth Respondent UNO PTY LTD Fifty- Sixth Respondent URANIUM ONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD (ABN 15 069 420 462) Fifty-Seventh Respondent BHP BILLITON OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD (ACN 007 835 761) Fifty-Eighth Respondent BHP BILLITON NICKEL WEST PTY LTD (ACN 004 185 598) Fifty-Ninth Respondent YADLAMALKA PROPRIETORS Sixtieth Respondent

JUDGES:	BRANSON, SUNDBERG AND DOWSETT JJ
DATE:	6 DECEMBER 2007
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