Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976

There has been a long and proud history of sustained Aboriginal advocacy and activism around gaining greater recognition and rights over the basis of culture – land.

These efforts, highlighted through struggles over the impacts of mining and pastoral operations in the Northern Territory, saw the federal government introduce legislation in 1975 and the passage of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA) in 1976.

Often described as the ‘high water mark’ of Aboriginal land rights, ALRA was the first legislation that enabled Aboriginal people to hold formal rights over their traditional lands after two centuries of dispossession. Today around 50% of NT land and 85% of the coastline is recognised as Aboriginal land.

But this important legal recognition contained a bitter pill for Mirarr. The imperatives of commerce were prioritised over the protection of Country and culture and the key right to veto a mining project was explicitly removed from the Mirarr in relation to Ranger mine.

The federal government linked the passage of the legislation to the approval of Ranger and what should have been a time for recognition and celebration instead saw ever greater pressure placed on the Mirarr.

Commonwealth of Australia legislation