ABSTRACT
In many countries around the world, states and others seeking to promote development need to engage in some way with indigenous land rights and use claims. The High Court of Australia first recognized the existence of native title in Australia in 1992, many years after it was first acknowledged in some other settled colonies. The slow progress of claims for native title since that time has continued to frustrate native title parties, as well as governments and third parties. It is well documented that recognition of native title and tenure certainty are essential steps to enable indigenous participation in economic development. This paper discusses a collaborative project which provides early access to historic tenure and other information relevant to land rights and land use, to allow knowledge to be shared, and assist parties work towards a shared future with benefits for all.

SHORT BIO
Ms Raelene Webb QC holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland.  She was admitted to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory and the High Court of Australia in 1992. In 2004, she was appointed Queens Counsel.  Prior to her five year appointment on 1 April 2013 by the Attorney General, as President of the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), Raelene was named as one of the leading native title silks in Australia.  She has appeared as lead counsel in many native title and Aboriginal land matters and has advised upon and appeared in the High Court in most land-mark cases on the judicial interpretation and development of native title/Aboriginal land law since the decision of Mabo v Queensland (No 2).
Raelene became a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law in August 2013 and delivered the Annual Richard Cooper Memorial Lecture at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, at the end of September 2013.  She was a recipient of the 2014 Law Council of Australia President’s Medal, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the legal profession in Australia.  Raelene is in great demand as a public speaker on a range of topics, native title matters especially, and has presented or chaired sessions at various conferences throughout Australia and internationally, including at the Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty held in Washington DC in March 2015. 

This Presentation is co-sponsored by the UNBC Office of Research, Department of Political Science and UNBC Global Friday Committee