Hearing grants Koa title

RECOGNITION of a native title claim covering more than 31,000sq km in regional Queensland and a number of townships has been granted to a group of traditional owners.

The Federal Court of Australia on Wednesday granted recognition to the Koa people as native title holders of land and waters in Queensland’s northwest region following an on-country hearing in Winton.

Justice S.C. Derrington granted the consent determination resolving the six-year native title claim which was first lodged in July, 2015.

Koa traditional owner Natasha Duncan said the recognition of non-exclusive native title rights was a significant step towards reclaiming Koa country and acknowledging Koa history.

“For Koa families, it’s to acknowledge our ancestors’ beginnings,” Ms Duncan said, adding the native title recognition acknowledges “the history of my grandmother’s country of where she lived, worked and survived”.

The native title determination area lies in the upper Diamantina River catchment area and includes the towns of Winton, Kynuna, Corfield and Middleton. The Federal Court hearing began with a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome guests to country. Among the guests on country was Queensland South Native Title Service principal legal officer Tim Wishart, who said the hearing was a significant milestone for the Koa people.

“Native title recognition is a long journey for traditional owners and in Queensland, where colonisation processes were particularly brutal, difficult to achieve,” Mr Wishart said.