State of Western Australia v Ward [2003] FCAFC 124

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

State of Western Australia v Ward [2003] FCAFC 124

THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA v BEN WARD & ORS

WAG 6293 OF 1998

CROSSWALK PTY LTD & ANOR v BEN WARD & ORS

WAG 6292 OF 1998

ALLIGATOR AIRWAYS PTY LTD v BEN WARD & ORS

WAG 6294 OF 1998

ARGYLE DIAMOND MINES PTY LTD & ORS v BEN WARD & ORS

WAG 6295 OF 1998

ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORY v BEN WARD & ORS

WAG 6296 OF 1998

CECIL NINGAMARRA & ORS v NORTHERN TERRITORY

W 6020 OF 1999 NORTH J MELBOURNE 3 JUNE 2003

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

VICTORIAN DISTRICT REGISTRY

On Remitter from the High Court in P59 of 2000; P62 of 2000; P63 of 2000 and P67 of 2000.

No. WG 6293 of 1998 BETWEEN: THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA & ORS Appellants and BEN WARD, JOHN TOBY, JIMMY WARD, RONNY CARLTON, JEFF JANAMA, BUTTON JONES, BEN BARNEY, DODGER CARLTON, KIM ALDUS, MURPHY SIMON, SHEBA DIGNARI, JOE LISSADELL, CHOCOLATE THOMAS, and PETER NEWRY ON BEHALF OF THE MIRIUWUNG AND GAJERRONG PEOPLE First Respondents and CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD, and DIANNE DINGAL Second Respondents and DELORES CHEINMORA, MATTENMORO (MARTIN CLARK), VERNON GERARD, DUDLEY BAMBRA, ELAINE JOHNSTONE, ERIC JOHNSTONE, CLARA (LEARAY) MITCHELL, MARY TERESA (TAYLOR), MAY SMITH, MONA WILLIAMS, RAYMOND WILLIAMS, JAMES TAYLOR, VICTOR MARTIN, HECTOR UNHANGO, MANUELLA PURWAN, MARY PANDILOW, KENNY MORGAN, JOYCE EVANS, and ROY MARTIN ON BEHALF OF THE BALANGARRA PEOPLES Third Respondents and COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Intervener No. WG 6292 of 1998 BETWEEN: CROSSWALK PTY LTD AND BAINES RIVER CATTLE CO PTY LTD Appellants and BEN WARD, JOHN TOBY, JIMMY WARD, RONNY CARLTON, JEFF JANAMA, BUTTON JONES, BEN BARNEY, DODGER CARLTON, KIM ALDUS, MURPHY SIMON, SHEBA DIGNARI, JOE LISSADELL, CHOCOLATE THOMAS, and PETER NEWRY ON BEHALF OF THE MIRIUWUNG AND GAJERRONG PEOPLE First Respondents and CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD, and DIANNE DINGAL Second Respondents No. WG 6294 of 1998 BETWEEN: ALLIGATOR AIRWAYS PTY LTD, PETER LAURENCE ALVIN, OASIS FARMS, C A & T BRADLEY, W R & A J BROGMUS, J A CARATI, L & M CONLEY, T & E CROOT, C W CURTIS, MAURICE DAVIDSON, DALENE N DAVIES, UTE & HANS DIEDRICKSON, C C & P M DONE, IAN & COLLEEN DUPE, KIMBERLEY NATIVE SEEDS, J ELLETT, B M & J FAIRCLOUGH, STEVE FARQUHAR, JOHN FILE, H G GARDINER T/AS UPSTREAM ORD BANANAS, JEFF GOODING & G HARDING T/AS GOLDEN FRUITS, DOUG G & E M GRANDISON, GUERINONI NOMINEES PTY LTD, NOEL A & AILEEN M HACKETT, ROY & ROSALIE HAMILTON T/AS R & R PLANTATION, WARRAMINGA PTY LTD, STEVE & CHRYSTABELLE HOWELL T/AS SPEEDY & BOB'S ELECTRICS, MICHAEL & HEATHER HOWELL, HOWARD & LESLEY JAMES, GRAHAM JOHN & SHEILA WEBSTER, KIM G JOHNSON T/AS ITCHY PALM PLANTATION, G T KING & D P GAEBLER, J & P KIRBY, LAKE ARGYLE CRUISES, LAKE ARGYLE INDUSTRIES PTY LTD, PATRICIA LAMOREAUX, ANTHONY & JULIE LARSEN, J & J LEACH PARTNERSHIP T/AS WILF ORD-RIVER PLANTATION, C R & S A LEAVER T/AS DELESTION RANGE ESTATE, B LERCH & D SPACKMAN T/AS BARDENA FARMS PTY LTD, PETER AND BELINDA LETCHFORD, ROBIN & SHANE MACKAY, SUZANNE MACKAY, DIELRO PTY LTD, SHARAL PLANTATION, STEPHEN MASSEY & JULIE KEMP, SHANE & SUZANNE MOORE, CRAIG & GAIL MUIR, J L & D G NICHOLSON, DAVID OGILVIE, IAN OLIVER, ORD RIVER DISTRICT CO-OP LTD, ADUR PTY LTD T/AS PARKER POYNT PLANTATION, LYNDON & KAREN PARKER T/AS KARLYN PLANATION, IAN H & ALMA V PETHERICK, RONALD M PORTER, CHRIS & DIANE ROBINSON T/AS ORIA ORCHARDS, R & J V SCHOEPPNER, S C & P M SHARPE, BETHEL INCORPORATED, KENNETH G SKERMAN & HILARY E BRETT, KERRY SLINGSBY, P J E & L A SMITH, ALAN J & JANET A STENNETT, DAVID THORNEYCROFT, JENNIFER TOMKIN, WAYNE R & JANICE A TREMBATH, GREG AND JANE HARMAN, FOLLE INVESTMENTS, HELGA WEISS, MERV & TERESA WELSH T/AS FORESHORE FRUITS, TIMOTHY B & LYNETTE J WESTWOOD T/AS EMELS ORCHARD, G S TURNER & Y M WHITEHEAD T/AS GARVON PLANTATION, ALAN & SUE WILSON, ROD WILSON, WILLIAM R & J M WITHERS, J L & S WOODHEAD, GREG WYNN, JENNY RYMER, CALYTRIX INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, JOHN W READ, STJEPAN VUK, HOWARD YOUNG, J L WOODHEAD, J S W HOLDINGS PTY LTD, EAST KIMBERLEY SPORTS FISHING CLUB, KUNUNURRA RACE CLUB, and KUNUNURRA WATER-SKI CLUB Appellants and BEN WARD, JOHN TOBY, JIMMY WARD, RONNY CARLTON, JEFF JANAMA, BUTTON JONES, BEN BARNEY, DODGER CARLTON, KIM ALDUS, MURPHY SIMON, SHEBA DIGNARI, JOE LISSADELL, CHOCOLATE THOMAS, and PETER NEWRY ON BEHALF OF THE MIRIUWUNG AND GAJERRONG PEOPLE First Respondents and CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD,and DIANNE DINGAL Second Respondents No. WG 6295 of 1998 BETWEEN: ARGYLE DIAMOND MINES PTY LTD AND THE ARGYLE DIAMOND MINE JOINT VENTURE Appellants and BEN WARD, JOHN TOBY, JIMMY WARD, RONNY CARLTON, JEFF JANAMA, BUTTON JONES, BEN BARNEY, DODGER CARLTON, KIM ALDUS, MURPHY SIMON, SHEBA DIGNARI, JOE LISSADELL, CHOCOLATE THOMAS, and PETER NEWRY ON BEHALF OF THE MIRIUWUNG AND GAJERRONG PEOPLE First Respondents and CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD, and DIANNE DINGAL Second Respondents and DELORES CHEINMORA, MATTENMORO (MARTIN CLARK), VERNON GERARD, DUDLEY BAMBRA, ELAINE JOHNSTONE, ERIC JOHNSTONE, CLARA (LEARAY) MITCHELL, MARY TERESA (TAYLOR), MAY SMITH, MONA WILLIAMS, RAYMOND WILLIAMS, JAMES TAYLOR, VICTOR MARTIN, HECTOR UNHANGO, MANUELLA PURWAN, MARY PANDILOW, KENNY MORGAN, JOYCE EVANS, and ROY MARTIN ON BEHALF OF THE BALANGARRA PEOPLES Third Respondents and THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Fourth Respondent No. WG 6296 of 1998 BETWEEN: THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY and CONSERVATION LAND CORPORATION Appellants and BEN WARD, JOHN TOBY, JIMMY WARD, RONNY CARLTON, JEFF JANAMA, BUTTON JONES, BEN BARNEY, DODGER CARLTON, KIM ALDUS, MURPHY SIMON, SHEBA DIGNARI, JOE LISSADELL, CHOCOLATE THOMAS, and PETER NEWRY ON BEHALF OF THE MIRIUWUNG AND GAJERRONG PEOPLE First Respondents and CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD, and DIANNE DINGAL Second Respondents and DELORES CHEINMORA, MATTENMORO (MARTIN CLARK), VERNON GERARD, DUDLEY BAMBRA, ELAINE JOHNSTONE, ERIC JOHNSTONE, CLARA (LEARAY) MITCHELL, MARY TERESA (TAYLOR), MAY SMITH, MONA WILLIAMS, RAYMOND WILLIAMS, JAMES TAYLOR, VICTOR MARTIN, HECTOR UNHANGO, MANUELLA PURWAN, MARY PANDILOW, KENNY MORGAN, JOYCE EVANS, and ROY MARTIN ON BEHALF OF THE BALANGARRA PEOPLES Third Respondents and COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Intervener No. W 6020 of 1999 BETWEEN: CECIL NINGARMARA, DOUGLAS BOOMBI, STEPHANIE BOOMBI, ALICE BOOMBI, SANDRA BOOMBI, RITA BOOMBI, HELEN BOOMBI, ROSIE GALLAGHER, DAVID LUAMI, PETER NEWRY, TOM BARNEY, PATRICK BITTANG, BINGLE GUNDARI, CARLTON GEORGE, RODNEY WALMAJA, GREGORY CALWAT, HERBERT ANTHONY, CHARLIE BARNEY, STAN LONG, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, JOCK McDONALD, and DIANNE DINGAL Appellants and THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA First Respondent and STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Second Respondent