rainier, "Playboy Magazine", "dog"?Is that what you call sensible response?
The post I put in states exactly how I feel about giving 'title' to some but not to others. Unfair, discriminating,apartheid. Why should a minority have more rights that the majority? Why should the majority be forbidden access to parts of this free country. Would you complain if the situation was reversed and we put up signs,"No Aboriginals"? What sort of a ruckus would that bring about!
As another poster has written, other Aboriginals will complain that THEY are not being given the same treatment.
The whole question of native title should now be completely struck off from the law. It discriminates and we are told that is wrong.

mickiijo
Let me try to put it in perspective. You and your extended family have some land, its yours you know it is, others around you know it is, but you have no title deed – because you never needed one.

This goes on for decades, centuries, millennia even. Then a culture from another place comes and says you don’t exist (terra nullius) thus no legal impediment to settlement .

Not much you can do about it ‘cause you don’t exist.

A couple of centuries pass and the concept of terra nullius is found to be crap, you really did exist. Of course you can’t turn back the clock so you only get back the bits of your land that nobody else wants.

But of course its not that simple, you still have to prove that you have continued to use those bits of land, when you do and a court agrees, bigoted racists emerge to say they are being discriminated against.

Then the political spin gets rolling, the WA govt. wants a decision from the full bench of the Federal Court (fair enough lets get some certainty). John (I am really not a racist) Howard turns purple.
Crystal ball gazing. The Full bench of the Federal Court dismisses the appeal, the WA Govt. is happy but Howard et al appeal to the High Court. Loosing office in the next election they leave native title to the Labor Party yet again.

The 7% racist vote does not help Howard win this time and they skulk back to their spider holes where they belong.

Steve,
'Let me try to put it in perspective. You and your extended family have some land, its yours you know it is, others around you know it is, AND you HAVE A title deed ....

This goes on for decades, centuries.... Then a PARTY/GOVT COMES ALONG & SAYS WE'LL TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS .

www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA1997052103

Not much you can do about it .... '

It happens every day, in one form or other, to farmers & home owners whose property is needed for "development".
In the case of farmers, one may have land resumed -declared a 'road' and force thereafter to pay rent on it because it runs through your land.
[I'll bet the new owners in WA never get to pay rates/taxes on it]

And on another level, we have conscription-where ones son (or more rarely daughter) is compulsory acquired for govt service.
[ fighting & dying for values the govt later repudiates]

Mickijo,
I agree with you.
Having special castes is ultimatley damagin

My one and only comment,is as follows,they own the country,they were deprived of their way of life,pushed as far back as possible,into the background,and its time we non Aboriginal settlers,just scould not carem what happened to them,will not go into detail,we all should know that,and even today go around this country and see the conditions they still live in,no excuse for us to say,that they should also try and,fit into mainstream Australian way of life,bulldust,we have had it far too good for say 200+ years,and must accept the fact,that it is their country ,and in whatever way,they want to live,its their right,they have done so for over 40000 years,and who says,that the western way of life,is better,all the John Howards,and the Kim Beazleys of Australia,are now showing their true colours,this will fail,as far as I am concerned,and hope that,we settlers,from all over the world,would be able to carry on with our way of life,as we are now part of Australia,and should accept,the fact,that the Aboriginal people,own the country

Horus ,
We get compensated if the government wants our land .
On your strange war comments -Aboriginal people fought us to try to retain their land , and have been gracious enough to volunteer their lives in World Wars to help US keep it .
Other Australians should not be so mean and lousy -in short, it's about time we should grew up as a nation .