FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Galway on behalf of Wamba Wamba, Barapa Barapa and Wadi Wadi Peoples v State of Victoria [2015] FCA 497

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.    The application is struck out.

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

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

1    Before the Court is a native title application brought by the Wamba Wamba, Barapa Barapa, and Wadi Wadi Peoples. The application has been on foot for 15 years. It has weathered many ups and downs and on many occasions the Court has indicated that unless there was meaningful progress, it would have to be struck out.

2    The application faces the challenge that it is brought by three groups, necessitating both internal organisation within each of the groups and also cooperation between them. That has been a difficult task for the parties which the Court has overseen for many years.

3    On behalf of the applicants, Mr Murray advocated for the continuance of the application persuasively on many occasions. On each occasion he was able to explain the possibility of progress being made, for reasons which were well-articulated and sound at the time. Mr Murray now acknowledges that the time has come to concede that the three groups cannot, in the present circumstances, move the application forward together in an efficient way.

4    The Court has received a letter from Native Title Services Victoria (NTSV) dated 8 May 2015 which outlines its position. NTSV has offered to fund a group meeting, however, this has not taken place and the Court is informed that the arrangements for it have been difficult to finalise. NTSV indicates in the letter that, while it may ultimately provide assistance for the group, such assistance is not part of its 2015-2016 operational plan. This means that there would likely be a delay of at least another year before anything further is done in the application.

5    NTSV’s position is relevant because the parties had hoped that their cause would be taken up by NTSV. Given the position expressed, and given the acknowledgement of Mr Murray with regard to the unlikelihood of the three groups working together to progress this particular application, the time has now come for the application to be struck out.

6    The decision to strike out the matter does not reflect upon the existence or otherwise of any native title rights which the group or the individual groups may have. Rather, this is a procedural decision which is based on the fact that the application has been on foot without significant progress for such a long time. The order to strike out the application is made because without progress it would be wrong to keep the parties returning to the Court for no good reason. It remains possible for the groups, either individually or together, to file further applications or to exert any rights which they may have under Victorian legislation, either the cultural heritage legislation or the traditional owners’ settlement legislation.

7    In striking out the application, the Court particularly acknowledges the contributions made by Mr Murray for the applicants, and Ms Scalzo and Mr Rawson for the respondents, all of whom have appeared in Court on numerous occasions over the 15-year duration of this matter.

8    The strength, rationality and courtesy of Mr Murray’s advocacy are particularly noted. Many passionate advocates appear before the Court, in native title and other matters, but rarely do they present their position with such aplomb and success. Although the order made today may be in a sense unwelcome to the applicants, it follows the acceptance by Mr Murray, that the day has come when this application, through lack of meaningful progress, should no longer stay on foot.

Associate:

Dated:    20 May 2015

Schedule

    No: (P)VID6005/2000

Federal Court of Australia

District Registry: Victoria

Division: General

Applicant:    HOWARD JOHN GALWAY

Applicant:    JIMEALIE JOYCE CARTER

Applicant:    TREVOR GEORGE NICHOLSON

Applicant:    GARY JOHN MURRAY

Applicant:    BARAPA BARAPA PEOPLES'

Applicant:    WAMBA WAMBA PEOPLES'

Applicant:    WADI WADI PEOPLE

Respondent:    WIMMERA MALLEE RURAL WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    SUNRAYSIA RURAL WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    LOWER MURRAY REGION WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    GOULBURN-MURRAY RURAL WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    COLIBAN REGION WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    GRAMPIANS REGION WATER AUTHORITY

Respondent:    BULOKE SHIRE COUNCIL

Respondent:    SWAN HILL RURAL CITY COUNCIL

Respondent:    CHARLES JOHN CASTLE

Respondent:    COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Respondent:    BEATRICE CASTLE

Respondent:    COLIN JOHN MYERS

Respondent:    SHAAN MARGARET CECILIA MYERS

Respondent:    GEORGE HERBERT DOUGLAS ROSS

Respondent:    JILL APRIL CHRISTINA SUTHERLAND

Respondent:    BARRY THEOBOLD

Respondent:    HOWARD MARTIN MORROW

Respondent:    JUDITH ANN MCKERROW

Respondent:    RONALD THOMAS MCKERROW

Respondent:    DAVID JOHN MCGRATH

Respondent:    ALAN GERARD MCGRATH

Respondent:    PETER JOHN LAAN

Respondent:    KAYE SANDRA JONES

Respondent:    NEVILLE JOHN JAMES

Respondent:    DAWN GARLAND

Respondent:    RITCHIE THEOBOLD

Respondent:    BRETT CONDELY

Respondent:    WILLESDEN GREEN PTY LTD

Respondent:    JOHN GARLAND

Respondent:    GRAHAM WILLIAM COSSAR

Respondent:    H MALCOLM D BENNETT

Respondent:    A S BEAR

Respondent:    JS BEAR

Respondent:    JL ALLEN

Respondent:    RL ALLEN

Respondent:    GLENYS ESTELLE COSSAR

Respondent:    PETER JAMES COSSAR

Respondent:    LYNETTE COSSAR

Respondent:    BASIL GREENHAM

Respondent:    BRUCE CARTER

Respondent:    S BILLING

Respondent:    ANDREW ROBERT BLAIN

Respondent:    RUTH LORRAINE BLAIN

Respondent:    WILLIAM JOHN BUCHANAN

Respondent:    ARTHUR WARREN BURGE

Respondent:    VERNA AMY BURGE

Respondent:    MARIE CARTER

Respondent:    CB HARRISON & SONS

Respondent:    CAMPBELL JOHN CHALMERS

Respondent:    JANICE BERYL CHALMERS

Respondent:    KJ CRICHTON

Respondent:    LD CRICHTON

Respondent:    IAN GEORGE STUART ELDER

Respondent:    LEONARD ERIC ELLIS

Respondent:    COLIN GREENHAM

Respondent:    MICHAEL JOHN GLOWREY

Respondent:    JOHN EDWARD GLOWREY

Respondent:    VICTOR A GITSHAM

Respondent:    GLENYS JEAN GILLINGHAM

Respondent:    NEIL CAMERON GILLIES

Respondent:    EF ENGLISH

Respondent:    DARYL GREENHAM

Respondent:    C BILLING

Respondent:    ROBERT JAMES HEATHERINGTON

Respondent:    DEBRA MARY HEATHERINGTON

Respondent:    LINDSAY JOSEPH HODGSON

Respondent:    BRUCE WARREN HORSBURGH

Respondent:    CARMEL MARY HORSBURGH

Respondent:    ROBERT BRUCE HORSBURGH

Respondent:    J.B. HOSKING

Respondent:    IAN HOWARD

Respondent:    JOANNE HOWARD

Respondent:    TREVOR CLIVE IBBS

Respondent:    SHIRLEY LORRAINE IBBS

Respondent:    BARRY WILLIAM JAMES

Respondent:    HM KANE

Respondent:    KELLY BROS

Respondent:    VD KELLY

Respondent:    LG LEARMONTH

Respondent:    LM LEARMONTH

Respondent:    BEVERLEY ANNE LEATHBRIDGE

Respondent:    DONALD JAMES LEATHBRIDGE

Respondent:    K LIPP

Respondent:    V LIPP

Respondent:    STEPHEN GEORGE MARSHALL

Respondent:    SUSAN ANGELA JOY MARSHALL

Respondent:    ALEXANDER DONALD MARTIN

Respondent:    STEWART REX MCCANN

Respondent:    WARRACK GRANT MCCANN

Respondent:    WILLIAM EDMUND MCGRATH

Respondent:    STUART FRANK SIMMS

Respondent:    EJ SHIPP

Respondent:    KR SHIPP

Respondent:    ML SCHLITZ

Respondent:    TJ SCHLITZ

Respondent:    PF SCHLITZ

Respondent:    MV SCHLITZ

Respondent:    KC RICHARDSON

Respondent:    SJ RICHARDSON

Respondent:    DAVID POLLARD

Respondent:    DIANNE FAYE PEACE

Respondent:    GRAEME THOMAS PEACE

Respondent:    CAROL SUSAN PAY

Respondent:    KENNETH RONALD PAY

Respondent:    WILLIAM KEVIN PARSONS

Respondent:    ANDREW G OXLEY

Respondent:    GRAEME J OXLEY

Respondent:    FRANCIS ROBERT O'SHEA

Respondent:    MAX ALEXANDER NEWSTEAD

Respondent:    WILLIAM ALISTER MCGREGOR

Respondent:    LLEWELLYN RALPH MITCHELL

Respondent:    COLIN HUGH MITCHELL

Respondent:    LEONARD JOHN MULLAN

Respondent:    FRANCES HILARY MULLAN

Respondent:    CATHRYN HILDA TURVEY

Respondent:    JOHN CUMMINS

Respondent:    GEOFFREY JAMES TURNBULL

Respondent:    J TUOHEY

Respondent:    T TUOHEY

Respondent:    JOHN MCKELLAR TODD

Respondent:    C D TODD

Respondent:    LM STEER

Respondent:    JM STEER

Respondent:    MARK DONALD SOUTHERN

Respondent:    NT SMITH

Respondent:    JC SMITH

Respondent:    MARIE REGINA DILLON

Respondent:    PATRICK FRANCIS DILLON

Respondent:    GLENDA CUMMINS

Respondent:    LESLIE JAMES BOND

Respondent:    DENISE WATERSON

Respondent:    JOHN WATERSON

Respondent:    STEPHANIE JOY DILLON

Respondent:    CAROL TURVEY

Respondent:    PAMELA C RIX

Respondent:    HELEN MARGARET SCALA

Respondent:    SWAN HILL JOCKEY CLUB INC

Respondent:    SWAN HILL CITY GOLF & BOWLS CLUB INC

Respondent:    IAN EDWARD TAYLOR

Respondent:    RITCHIE THEOBALD

Respondent:    ANNETTE THEOBALD

Respondent:    ATKINSON'S (WILLOW PARK) PTY LTD

Respondent:    FRANK RICHARD BIBBY

Respondent:    DOUGLAS KEITH CHAMBERLAIN

Respondent:    GLENYSE YVONNE CHAMBERLAIN

Respondent:    PETER CONDELY

Respondent:    MALCOLM GRANT FARLEY

Respondent:    JENNIFER ANN FARLEY

Respondent:    SAMUEL PHILLIP FARLEY

Respondent:    FAYE FARLEY

Respondent:    VG FOOTT

Respondent:    TM FOOTT

Respondent:    FREDERICK W DOWDY

Respondent:    CAMERON BENNETT ENGLISH

Respondent:    MALCOLM WAYNE KELLY

Respondent:    DEBRA ANNE KELLY

Respondent:    NEIL MCKERROW

Respondent:    HELEN MCKERROW

Respondent:    ANNETTE CHRISTINA PRIOR

Respondent:    RONALD GEORGE REAPER

Respondent:    DAVID M RIX

Respondent:    LEO HERBERT PARKER

Respondent:    GJ KELLY

Respondent:    ROBERT LOATS

Respondent:    WILLIAM ROWE

Respondent:    B MACKIE

Respondent:    KERRIE LEE KNIGHT

Respondent:    JOHN PETER KNIGHT

Respondent:    OS PARKER

Respondent:    EE PARKER

Respondent:    ALAN GREGORY PICKERING

Respondent:    HELEN EDITH PICKERING

Respondent:    JOHN RICHARD TONKIN

Respondent:    HELEN MARGARET TONKIN

Respondent:    JOELLDA PTY LTD

Respondent:    GW KELLY

Respondent:    PYRENEES APIARIES

Respondent:    COLIN MANSELL

Respondent:    POWERCOR AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Respondent:    ELVA WINIFRED CARTY

Respondent:    BRIAN FRANCIS CARTY

Respondent:    LEONARD JAMES DONOHUE

Respondent:    MID-MURRAY FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB INC

Respondent:    CORACK PUBLIC HALL INCORPORATED

Respondent:    ALCHERINGA HOSTEL INC

Respondent:    LAKE MERAN PUBLIC PURPOSE COMMITTEE

Respondent:    CHEETHAM SALT LTD

Respondent:    BROADCAST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Respondent:    TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED

Respondent:    VICTORIAN SALT PTY LTD

Respondent:    PAUL GRIFFITHS

Respondent:    RONALD GEORGE DANBY

Respondent:    DIANNE GRIFFITHS

Respondent:    GRAHAM DAVID MCLEAN

Respondent:    LINTON FRANCIS RYAN

Respondent:    MATTHEW GLOWREY

Respondent:    GERTRUDE ELVA MCGREGOR

Respondent:    PAULINE ELIZABETH GLOWREY

Respondent:    MAXWELL JOHN SEWELL

Respondent:    GANNAWARRA SHIRE COUNCIL

Respondent:    JENNY JAMES-BRYAN

Respondent:    ROD BRYAN