Aborigines win NSW land claim
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The High Court has ruled in favour of an Aboriginal land claim in a judgement with potential implications for land sales by the New South Wales Government.
The state had fought the claim on the old Wagga Wagga Motor Registry Office, in southern NSW, citing the impact on its Crown Land Asset Disposal Program.
It argued the land was lawfully used and occupied by the Lands Department in preparing it for sale.
But in a unanimous ruling today, the High Court found steps taken to sell the site did not amount to use of the land under the NSW Land Rights Act, so the site is open to claim.
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council's chairwoman, Bev Manton, has welcomed the decision, saying it may affect at least 60 similar claims across the state.
"We're just over the moon with this," she said.
"We're just sorry that we were pushed into a corner and we had to take the action that's been taken and defend the action that we'd taken."
The Land Council had already won its case against the State Government in the Supreme Court.
About 9,000 other claims are yet to be assessed across NSW.
