FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Handy v State of Victoria [2012] FCA 837

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.    Leave is granted to the applicant to withdraw the application.

Note:    Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

1    The applicant applies for leave to withdraw the application for a determination of native title.

2    In support of the application, the applicant filed an affidavit affirmed on 19 July 2012 by Anthony Kelly, the solicitor for the applicant, employed by Native Title Services Victoria Ltd (NTSV), setting out the steps taken by the applicant to notify the respondents of their intention to apply for the order. The affidavit discloses that on 14 May 2012, NTSV wrote to a large number of the respondents seeking consent to the withdrawal of the application (the first letter). The first letter indicated that if no response was received by close of business on 15 June 2012, then the applicant would assume that the particular respondent did not object to the consent orders proposed.

3    The active respondents to the application, namely, the State of Victoria, the Latji Latji people, Powercor and Telstra each agreed to the consent orders proposed by the applicant. However, when the matter was first heard on 21 June 2012, it became apparent that the first letter had not been sent to all of the respondents to the application. Apparently, the addresses of a number of the respondents were not at that time available to NTSV. Consequently, the matter was stood over to allow NTSV to take steps to contact the remaining respondents and seek their views.

4    On 22 June 2012, the Court was able to provide NTSV with the contact details of the remaining respondents. On 26 June 2012, NTSV sent to those remaining respondents a letter in similar form to the first letter seeking the consent of those respondents to the application for withdrawal. This second letter stipulated that if a response was not received by 18 July 2012, then NTSV would assume that the particular respondent did not object to the orders being made.

5    Orders had been made early in the management of the application to allocate the respondents into 19 groups. After dispatch of both letters, consents were received in respect of 10 of those groups. In relation to the remaining nine groups, NTSV received responses from 24 individuals representing four of those groups. Mr Kelly, who appeared on behalf of the applicant, estimated that approximately 80 individuals had not responded to either the first or second letter. None of these individuals have been active respondents to the application.

6    Thus, the respondents who have taken an active part in the application have agreed to the orders sought by the applicant. In addition, a majority of the party groups have consented to the orders being made. The remaining respondents have been notified by letter individually or to the group representative. It follows that there is a proper basis on the evidence for the orders sought by the applicant.

7    The Court will therefore order that the applicant have leave to withdraw application VID 6003 of 1998.

Associate:

Dated:    8 August 2012

Schedule of Respondents

STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

STATE OF VICTORIA

LOWER MURRAY URBAN WATER CORPORATION

ROBINVALE DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICE

LOIS ALMA MANLEY

GARY RAYMOND MANLEY

ROHAN J LOY

TREVOR JURY

VINCENZO FOTIA

DALE A FORBES

GERARD CURRAN

PHILLIP CAMERA

ALAN JAMES BRANSON

JENENE WORTHINGTON

LANCASTER WORTHINGTON

FRANCIS WILLIAM SMITH

L G ROBINSON

TIMOTHY BRYCE RICKER

JANELLE GAYE RICKER

PETHARD IRRIGATION COMPANY PTY LTD

PATRICIA MARGARET O'BRIEN

PETER W O'BRIEN

HAPPY VALLEY ESTATE

SAVARIA DELUCA

GASPARE DELUCA

RAYMOND T CUPPER

GENO LUIGI BRIGANTE

WIMMERA MALLEE WATER

SUNRAYSIA RURAL WATER AUTHORITY

ROBINVALE SECONDARY COLLEGE

GRAMPIANS REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY

JOSEPH FRANCIS HANSFORD

MARY ELLEN HANSFORD

GIUSEPPE ITALIA

KATRINA GERVASI

JOE GERVASI

NEVILLE GARDNER

DOROTHY JOAN EXELL

KEITH WILLIAM EXELL

G J DAX

MARGARET ANN COUSINS

JOHN DAVID COUSINS

PETER M CORCORAN

TREVOR JAMES CHAPPLE

KAREN PATRICIA CHAPPLE

GREGORY ROSS CHAPPLE

CB HOLDINGS (VICTORIA) PTY LTD

M A BEHSMANN

B R BEHSMANN

E S BAILEY

A BAILEY

MAVIS ZANKER

SIGMUND ZANKER

TREVOR GORDON SMITH

N J MITCHELL

S I NICHOLS

F E NICHOLS

P P NICHOLS

P D MITCHELL

N F MITCHELL

MAURICE VALENTINE HARDING

MARGARET JOAN SINAPIUS

BRETT THOMAS SINAPIUS

IAN DODEMAIDE

DIANE COOPER

JEAN MARGARET JOHNSTON

CHRISTOPHER N KATIS

VINCENT KELLY

MICHAEL JAMES KETTS

EDITH FRANCES KETTS

KOKODA PUMPING SYNDICATE

ROBERT RONALD LANGSHAW

BEVERLY KAYE LANGSHAW

MICHAEL B LESLIE

TERI M LESLIE

ROY C MANNION

VERONICA MANNION

WILLIAM FRANCIS MCGINTY

DONNA O'CONNOR

JOHN ROBERT OLIVER

CLARENCE EDWARD PARKER

W D PHILLIPS

S J PHILLIPS

J J PRAGT

M T PRAGT

SCOTT P REDDY

R G O'BREE

P F O'BREE

VERNON ALBERT RIDLEY

SHANE MICHAEL RYAN

ALFRED G SMITH

KATHERINE I SMITH

ALFRED HENRY PATRICK SMITH

DAVID O'CONNOR

HUNT PUMPING SYNDICATE

ACUTT HOLDINGS PTY LTD

R J ANDERSON

ANNA MARIA ZAPPIA

FERDINANDO ZAPPIA

CARMELA ZAFFINA

PASQUALE ZAFFINA

CYNTHIA JOY WILLIS

RONALD KEITH WILLIS

IVAN MAXWELL TELFORD

BRIGANTE BROTHERS

IAN BOYD

W C BORAM

H H BORAM

BONYARICALL VINEYARDS PTY LTD

BB OLIVES PTY LTD

JACKI BARONE

STEVE BARONE

BARONE M NOMINEES PTY LTD

BANNERTON PIPELINE GROUP

BEVERLY ANNE PORTEOUS

ALAN BAILEY

KYRIAKY ANDRIOLAS

ILIAS ANDRIOLAS

D K ANDERSON

A & L ROMEO PTY LTD

LINDA JUNE BYE

FRANK CACCAVIELLO

G CAMERA

JOHN JAMES BYE

T J BUTTON

B L BUTTON

PHILIP BURKETT

BROOKLYN PARK PUMPING SYNDICATE

ANNUELLO PIPELINE GROUP PTY LTD

G CORDOMA

FRANCESCO CORDOMA

STEPHEN J CONNOR

PETER W CONNOR

CHRIS CONNOR

ANN CONNOR

A H CONNOR

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES LTD

CLYNTON TOWER PTY LTD

LYNDA MARGARET CHISLETT

GLEN KINGSLEY CHISLETT

J P CHALMERS

D S CHALMERS

RHONDA CATTANACH

DAVID CATTANACH

G CAREY

COLIN L CAREY

CORDOMA NOMINEES PTY LTD (ACN 006 311 173)

SALVATORE CAMINITI

CATERINA CAMINITI

LUIGI CORDOMA

MARIO CORDOMA

ROSARIO CORDOMA

ELLYN ELIZABETH CRAWFORD

PATRICK CURRAN

MARY CURRAN

GEOFFREY ROBERT DAVIES

LEANNE DAVIES

DB MATTHEWS (COLIGNAN) PTY LTD

SALVATORE DENARO

NELLA DENARO

J G DESMOND

SOULINE NOMINEES PTY LTD

D G MITCHELL & SONS

ARTHUR H DIXON

CRAIG DOMAILLE

TRACEY DOMAILLE

BRIAN JAMES ENGLEFIELD

JANINE PATRICH ENGLEFIELD

LEO EDWARD ENGLEFIELD

J ERCEG

M ERCEG

ALEXANDER FISHER

GLENDA FISHER

A D GABY

F M GABY

D GIOFRELLE

R GIOFRELLE

GJK & SC CHISLETT DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD

GRAPELAND PTY LTD

V GROTTO

RUSSELL JOHN HAMMET

FRANCESCA LAZZARA

HATTAH RESIDENTS WATER USERS ASSOCIATION INC

DONALD HAYDEN

THELMA HAYDEN

RODNEY J HAYDEN

ROBERT JAMES HAYNES

IAN HICKEY

PETER C HIGGINS

ERNEST EDWARD HOCKING

JEANETTE HUME

GRAHAM HAEUSLER

C B IENCO

M A IENCO

ROSS IUDICA

MARY IUDICA

NOEL MARTIN JOHNSON

JANET KAY JOHNSON

JUNCTION NOMINEES (NO ONE) PTY LTD

JOHN KEATING

GRACE KEATING

KOOLOONONG WATER SCHEME INC

KYNDALYN PARK PTY LTD

R LAMATTINA

A LAMATTINA

L I LARKIN

ANTONIO LAZZARA

MADGE LAZZARA

CARMELA LAZZARA

GIUSEPPE LAZZARA

KATRINA ANNE HAMMET

GEOFFREY MCMONNIES

WENDY MCGINNISKIN

ROBERT FRANCIS MCMONNIES

GEOFF MCGINNISKIN

C MCCARTHER

JANETTE RUTH MASON

BRIAN ROBERT MASON

LUIGI MASE

ALDO MASE

MARK SMITH (WEMEN) PTY LTD

BRENT MANNIX

JANETTE MANNA

VINCE MANNA

ROBERT MANNA

DESMOND LOY

BARBRA LOY

LOU FLOWER

JEAN LONSDALE

LILY EMMA LIARDET

ANNA LIAKOS

GEORGINA LIAKOS

ILLIAS LIAKOS

ANTONINO LENZI

PETER LIAKOS

MICHAEL LIAKOS

C PULEIO

R L MCQUEEN

A ROMEO

E ROMEO

NUNZATIO ROMEO

MOYRA J ROWE

S & G SCALORA AND SONS

H J SINAPIUS

G R SINAPIUS

N P SINAPIUS

GRAHAM ROWE

PETER ROGERS

MARION PETERS

GEOFFREY CRAIG PETERS

CAROLYN ANN PAYNE

PETER GRAEME PAYNE

GILMORE JOSEPH PAUL

SINCLAIR ANTICO VICTORIA PTY LTD

OBETZ HOLDINGS PTY LTD

A NATALE

F G NATALE

E MYRIALLAKIS

K MYRIALLAKIS

G MYRIALLAKIS

I MYRIALLAKIS

H N MURPHY

G MURPHY

JEAN MUMFORD

GARY MUMFORD

JEAN M MILLARD

TONY MEZZATESTA

F MEZZATESTA

A MEZZATESTA

MEZZATESTA BROTHERS

S PULEIO

KEVIN SMITH

SOMERSET GRAPES PTY LTD

ANDREW SYLVESTER

K TATE

D TATE

TOL TOL PUMPING SYNDICATE PTY LTD

DONALD TURNER

TWO RIVERS VINEYARDS PTY LTD

WEMEN WATER GROUP

DAVID S WESCOMBE

LYNETTE WESCOMBE

KEN JOHN WESTMORE

ALAN WILLIAM YOUNG

A R YOUNG

E F YOUNG

AUDREY HELEN YOUNG

ROCCO ZAPPIA

ELIZABETH ZAPPIA

A ZARA

JOHN WILLIAM MANNING

AGNES THERESA NEYLAND

TABLE GRAPE GROWERS OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ALICE SMITH

CHARLES MARK NEYLAND

SUSAN E DOMAILLE

VALERIE JOAN BEST

EUSTON CO-OP RURAL SOCIETY LTD

GARY C FARNSWORTH

IRENE E FARNSWORTH

ROBIN JOHN HACKETT

MICHAEL HEALY

RAYMOND HEALY

PATRICK HEALY

GERALD FRANCIS HOARE

JOAN DOROTHY HOARE

PAULINE ANN HOWLEY

ROBERT STEPHEN KNOTT

TERESA IRENE KNOTT

I M LOCKHART

L E LOCKHART

KENNETH ARNOLD MCNEES

ROSALIE DAWN MCNEES

MEILMAN EAST PTY LTD

CHALMERS NURSERIES PTY LTD

MILLIEU HOLDINGS PTY LTD

MARIA GUISEPPE CACCAVIELLO

DOUGLAS MALCOLM BEST

ROGER W DOMAILLE

WENDY ELIZABETH DALTON

GRAEME VICTOR DALTON

LEONARDO CACCAVIELLO

TOOLEYBUC SPORTING CLUB LTD

GREGORY LAWRENCE NEYLAND

ANGELA SCALORA

JILL NEVA BOSUA

I L TYACK

L L TYACK

E V TYACK

B SHALDERS PYRENEES APIARIES

SYDNEY JOHN MATTHEWS

R MCDONALD

E MCDONALD

I J OAKLEY

R K ROBINSON

H S ROBINSON

RUSSELL GERARD

SAM SCALORA

ANTONIA SCALORA

PAUL SCALORA

JACANNA VINEYARDS PTY LTD

CONCETTA (JACK) SCALORA

WILLIAM FRANK SALAU

IAN JOHN SKILLER

TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED

KEITH ALEXANDER

STEVE ALEXANDER

D R DAVIES

HENRY S W DAVIES

MAXWELL GREGG

KENNETH HEARNE

BLAZ MARKOVIC

ROBINVALE PISTOL CLUB

ROBINVALE RIFLE CLUB INC

ROBINVALE 80 SKI RACE COMMITTEE INC

AUSTRALIAN TRAIL BIKE TOURS

FIELD & GAME AUSTRALIA INC

FREDERICK RALPH HARRADINE

POWERCOR AUSTRALIA LIMITED

COLIN MANSELL

BALRANALD SHIRE COUNCIL

CARMELO ZARA