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Native Title Report 2021

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Native title report 2021
Submissions are now closed. 


The Native Title Report 2021 is a report being developed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO. The report will focus on women’s voices and stories about their experiences in the native title system. The report, which will be tabled in Federal Parliament, will inform the Government in its native title reform agenda as well as those in the sector who play a role in advocating for change. 

To inform the report the Social Justice Commissioner wanted to hear from: 

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with experience in the native title system, for example, those who are (or have been) native title claimants or holders, and those who are board members of PBCs, NTRBs and Service Providers
  • people working in the native title space, including professionals with native title expertise, such as lawyers, anthropologists, heritage experts, archeologists, genealogy experts, academics, etc.

The Social Justice Commissioner wanted to hear about experiences of the native title system, including:

  • experiences of the processes within the native title system
  • the way the native title system has (and has not) worked to deliver on the expectations of communities, and to deliver benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • the ways that communities have addressed the challenges presented by native title and 
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s hopes and plans for the future of native title, including what needs to change and what that change should look like.

To inform the Native Title Report 2021, the Australian Human Rights Commission is collecting information in several ways: 

  1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with experience in the native title system were invited to complete a survey.  We have extended the time that the survey is open until 12 May 2021. The survey is now closed. 
  2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and all other people and organisations with experience and expertise in the native title system are invited to make a submission. This is an opportunity to provide more detailed information than the survey. The guided submission form below is now open until 12 May 2021. Submissions are now closed. 
  3. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner did a small number of in-depth interviews with women who have had extensive experience in the native title system.

Contributors to the Native Title Report 2021, could have completed both of the survey and guided submission form

We appreciate whatever time you gave to the project and all responses are gratefully received.



Guided submission for the Native Title Report 2021

This guided submission was one of the ways we were gathering information and trying to hear about women’s experiences and opinions regarding native title. 

Submissions will be public unless you indicated otherwise. All submissions will be treated in accordance with our submissions policy.

You may have already completed some questions on background information in our survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women involved in native title. Thank you for your patience in answering some similar questions. We have tried to keep duplication to a minimum. 

Submissions are now closed.