iMPACT Assessment Tool – Assisting Councils to identify and mitigate risks for Native Title and Cultural Heritage compliance

Abstract

The High Court’s award of $2.5 million compensation to native title holders in Timber Creek, a township in the Northern Territory, was the first time in history that the compensation provisions of the Native Title Act 1993 were given effect. For the first time, a value was calculated for the 'spiritual harm' and disconnection with country caused to the Indigenous traditional owners. The claim by the Ngaliwurru and Nungali native title holders, related to rights extinguished by the construction of roads and infrastructure by the Northern Territory government in the 1980s and 1990s. It has been described as the most important Native Title decision since Mabo in 1992 and offers a precedent for further compensation claims to be made. And progressively, similar claims have been made emphasising the importance of councils to be proactive before undertaking any form of public works for communities. The integrated Management Portal for Aboriginal and Cultural Heritage and Native Title (iMPACT) portal was developed to resolve this issue for organisations.