Determination
32 I will proceed under section 87A of the Native Title Act. It is preferable to do so, rather than proceed under section 87. This is because, as submitted, the balance of the Mirning Application will then be deemed to be amended to remove the area covered by the proposed determination (section 64(1B) of the Native Title Act) and will also be exempt from the re-application of the registration test (section 190A(lA) of the Native Title Act). The Mirning Application will remain registered following the amendment, and the Native Title Registrar will be obliged to amend the Register of Native Title Claims even though the registration test has not been re-applied (section 190(3)(a) of the Native Title Act).
33 Section 87A is a long section. It says as follows:
87A Power of Federal Court to make determination for part of an area
Application
(1) This section applies if:
(a) there is a proceeding in relation to an application for a determination of native title; and
(b) at any stage of the proceeding after the end of the period specified in the notice given under section 66, agreement is reached on a proposed determination of native title in relation to an area (the determination area) included in the area covered by the application; and
(c) all of the following persons are parties to the agreement:
(i) the applicant;
(ii) each registered native title claimant in relation to any part of the determination area who is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made;
(iv) each representative Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander body for any part of the determination area who is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made;
(v) each person who holds an interest in relation to land or waters in any part of the determination area at the time the agreement is made, and who is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made;
(vi) each person who claims to hold native title in relation to land or waters in the determination area and who is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made;
(vii) the Commonwealth Minister, if the Commonwealth Minister is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made or has intervened in the proceeding at any time before the agreement is made;
(viii) if any part of the determination area is within the jurisdictional limits of a State or Territory, the State or Territory Minister for the State or Territory if the State or Territory Minister is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made;
(ix) any local government body for any part of the determination area who is a party to the proceeding at the time the agreement is made; and
(d) the terms of the proposed determination are in writing and signed by or on behalf of each of those parties.
Proposed determination may be filed with the Court
(2) A party to the agreement may file a copy of the terms of the proposed determination of native title with the Federal Court.
Certain parties to the proceeding to be given notice
(3) The Federal Court Chief Executive Officer must give notice to the other parties to the proceeding that the proposed determination of native title has been filed with the Court.
Orders may be made
(4) The Court may make an order in, or consistent with, the terms of the proposed determination of native title without holding a hearing … if the Court considers that:
(a) an order in, or consistent with, the terms of the proposed determination would be within its power; and
(b) it would be appropriate to do so.
Note: As the Court's order involves making a determination of native title, the order needs to comply with section 94A (which deals with the requirements of native title determination orders).
(5) Without limiting subsection (4), if the Court makes an order under that subsection, the Court may also make an order under this subsection that gives effect to terms of the agreement that involve matters other than native title if the Court considers that:
(a) the order would be within its power; and
(b) it would be appropriate to do so.
(6) The jurisdiction conferred on the Court by this Act extends to making an order under subsection (5).
(7) The regulations may specify the kinds of matters other than native title that an order under subsection (5) may give effect to.
Objections
(8) In considering whether to make an order under subsection (4) or (5), the Court must take into account any objections made by the other parties to the proceedings.
Agreed statement of facts
(9) If some or all of the parties to the proceeding have reached agreement on a statement of facts, one of those parties may file a copy of the statement with the Court.
(10) Within 7 days after a statement of facts agreed to by some of the parties to the proceeding is filed, the Federal Court Chief Executive Officer must give notice to the other parties to the proceeding that the statement has been filed with the Court.
(11) In considering whether to make an order under subsection (4) or (5), the Court may accept a statement of facts that has been agreed to by some or all of the parties to the proceedings but only if those parties include:
(a) the applicant; and
(b) the party that the Court considers was the principal government respondent in relation to the proceedings at the time the agreement was reached.
(12) In considering whether to accept under subsection (11) a statement of facts agreed to by some of the parties to the proceedings, the Court must take into account any objections that are made by the other parties to the proceedings within 21 days after the notice is given under subsection (10).
34 I find that the requirements of s 87A have been established.
35 In particular:
(i) the period specified in the notice given under section 66 of the Native Title Act has ended (section 87A(l)(b)): the notification period in section 66(8) has ended;
(ii) there is an agreement for a proposed determination of native title in relation to part of an area covered by the native title application (section 87A(l)(b)): the proposed determination is in respect of only part of the land and waters the subject of the Mirning Application;
(iii) the terms of the proposed determination are in writing, signed by or on behalf of all of the persons required to be parties to the agreement pursuant to section 87A(l)(c) and are filed with the Court (sections 87A(l)(c), 87A(l)(d) and 87A(2)): there is an agreement in writing, signed by or on behalf of, each of the parties to the Mirning Application and filed in Court, for a proposed determination of native title, the terms of which are reflected in the Minute. The Minute has been signed by or on behalf of the Applicant and all parties to the Mirning Application, including the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. There are no other registered native title claimants in relation to the Determination Area. No other persons are planning to hold native title in the Determination Area;
(iv) the Federal Court Chief Executive Officer does not need to give notice to other parties to the proceeding under section 87A(3) as all parties to the Mirning Application are parties to the agreement the subject of the Minute;
(v) there are no objections for the Court to take into account under section 87A(8).
36 I also consider that an order in the terms of the proposed determination would be within the Court's power (section 87A(4)(a)) and it would be appropriate to make the orders sought (section 87A(4)(b)).
37 As to the Court's power, first, the Mirning Application was validly made, having been authorised by the Mirning native title claimants according to a decision-making process agreed to and adopted in relation to authorising decisions of that kind, which authorised the Applicant to make the native title determination application, as required by section 251B of the Native Title Act.
38 Second, the Mirning Application seeks a determination of native title in relation to an area for which there is no approved determination of native title (section 13(1)(a) of the Native Title Act) and there remains no approved determination in relation to the area the subject of the proposed determination (section 68 of the Native Title Act).
39 Third, there are no other proceedings before the Court relating to native title determination applications that cover any part of the area the subject of the proposed determination which would otherwise require orders to be made under section 67(1) of the Native Title Act.
40 Fourth, the form of the proposed determination complies with sections 94A and 225 of the Native Title Act and the requirements of section 87A are otherwise satisfied.
41 As to whether the order is appropriate, (section 87A(4)(b)), I accept that the discretion under section 87A imports the same principles as apply under section 87: Brown (on behalf of the Ngarla People) v State of Western Australia [2007] FCA 1025 at [22]. This means that the discretion must be exercised judicially and within the subject matter, scope and purpose of the Native Title Act: Lota Warria (on behalf of the Poruma and Masig Peoples) v State of Queensland [2005] FCA 1117; 223 ALR 62 at [7] per Black CJ. This includes the resolution of disputes by agreement: Hughes (on behalf of the Eastern Guruma People) v State of Western Australia [2007] FCA 365 at [8] per Bennett J.
42 The focus of the Court in considering whether the orders sought are appropriate is on the making of the agreement by the parties: Lander v State of South Australia [2012] FCA 427 at [11] per Mansfield J, citing with approval what had been said by North J in Lovett on behalf of the Gunditjmara People v State of Victoria [2007] FCA 474 at [36]-[37].
43 In order to form a view as to whether the legal requirements for the recognition of native title have been met, the Court is not necessarily required to receive evidence or to embark on its own enquiry on the merits of the claim where the Court is satisfied that the parties have freely and on an informed basis come to an agreement: see Munn for and on behalf of the Gunggari People v State of Queensland [2001] FCA 1229; 115 FCR 109 at [30], Cox on behalf of the Yungngora People v State of Western Australia [2007] FCA 588 at [3] per French J, and Brown v Northern Territory [2015] FCA 1268 at [23] per Mansfield J.
44 I am satisfied that the parties have freely and on an informed basis come to an agreement. In this respect I note that the Applicant and the State have each been legally represented throughout the case management process and it is apparent that the State has taken "a real interest in the proceeding in the interests of the community generally": Munn for and on behalf of the Gunggari People at [29]. I accept that in so doing, the State (acting in the interests of the community generally, including the claimants), having regard to the requirements of the Native Title Act, and having made its assessment of the sufficiency of the evidence, has satisfied itself that the determination is justified in all the circumstances. I refer in this respect to Western Bundjalung People v Attorney General of New South Wales [2017] FCA 992 at [20], where Jagot J spoke of "ensuring prima facie cogent claims are resolved by agreement in a timely and fair manner, at a reasonable and proportionate cost to claimant groups" as being an important part of the public interest the State is intended to protect and promote. I accept that in addition to carefully considering the Applicant's connection material, the State has conducted searches of land tenure, mining and petroleum registries to determine the nature and extent of "other interests" within the proposed determination area. As such the Minute also sets out a description of the nature and extent of non-native title rights and interests in relation to the Determination Area which complies with section 225 of the Native Title Act.
45 I note that for those reasons, the Applicant and the State have informed the Court that they consider the proposed determination to be within the power of the Court and that it would be appropriate that the Court make the proposed determination of native title.
46 Section 94A states that an order in which the Federal Court makes a determination of native title must set out details of the matters mentioned in section 225 (which defines determination of native title).
47 Section 225 says:
225 Determination of native title
A determination of native title is a determination whether or not native title exists in relation to a particular area (the determination area) of land or waters and, if it does exist, a determination of:
(a) who the persons, or each group of persons, holding the common or group rights comprising the native title are; and
(b) the nature and extent of the native title rights and interests in relation to the determination area; and
(c) the nature and extent of any other interests in relation to the determination area; and
(d) the relationship between the rights and interests in paragraphs (b) and (c)(taking into account the effect of this Act); and
(e) to the extent that the land or waters in the determination area are not covered by a non-exclusive agricultural lease or a non-exclusive pastoral lease - whether the native title rights and interests confer possession, occupation, use and enjoyment of that land or waters on the native title holders to the exclusion of all others.
Note: The determination may deal with the matters in paragraphs (c) and (d) by referring to a particular kind or particular kinds of non-native title interests.
48 I note that as at the date of the determination of native title in these proceedings, a prescribed body corporate will not have been established and consequently the Court is not requested to make a determination in accordance with sections 55, 56 and 57 of the Native Title Act. I refer to the affidavit of Mr Rumler, to which I have already referred, at [14]. As such, it is proposed in the Minute that the determination take effect immediately upon the making of a determination under section 56(1) or section 57(2) of the Native Title Act.