A native title claim has been registered for 9500 square kilometres of land in the Hunter.
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Scott Franks has lodged the claim on behalf of the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua people.
The claim covers parts of the Maitland, Cessnock, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Singleton and Upper Hunter local government areas and would preserve Crown land that has significance to the Wonnarua people, and allow access for traditional practices.
Native title would give the group legal rights to participate in decisions about the use of the land, including where mining could take place.
Mr Franks said farmers and other freehold landowners would not be at risk of losing their properties.
He filed the claim in August, 2013, and the Native Title Tribunal registered it last week.
“The claim simply doesn’t affect freehold properties,” Mr Franks said.
“The poor old farmers should be more worried about the tax man than us.
“[The claim] applies to Crown land and any land where native title hasn’t been extinguished.”
The Native Title Tribunal has called for stakeholders, such as mining companies that hold licences on Crown land in the area, to become party to the claim.
Mr Franks, a former Hunter resident, is a member of one of the four Indigenous families that make up the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua people.
He is part of the Smith family line and is a descendent of Mary Shoe, who was born near Singleton circa 1800.
Mr Franks said the group was not anti-mining and understood that some industries had positive impacts on the community.
“With the amount of industry in the Hunter Valley, a lot of land has been destroyed,” he said.
“We want to preserve parcels of land for future generations.
“But we’re very active in working with major industries.
“We understand that they’ve got to be there.”
Native title, which is managed by the Federal Court of Australia, cannot be bought or sold.
It can only be transferred through traditional law or custom or returned to the government.