10-point plan on Native Title: Please explain Media Release, 2 May 1997 Australian Conservation Foundation 340 Gore street, Fitzroy, 3065. Ph: (03) 9416 1166 Fax: (03) 9416 0767

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has called on the Pnme Minister to clarify his intentions on native title, following release of the proposed 'ten-point plan'. Executive Director for the ACF, Mr Jim Downey, said that the plan's proposals raise a number of serious questons about the mechanisms of extinguishing native title, and the resultng environmental and social consequences. These questons indude: As suggested by his statement on 28 April that an expanded range of land uses will be permitted on pastoral leases "without any let or hindrance from either native title claimants or indeed any other section of the Australian community", does the Prime Minister intend to allow the States to upgrade pastoral leases to a form of tenure equivalent to freehold? In point 2 of the proposed plan, will the States be able to 'reasonably judge at their own discretion if an 'agricultural lease' was intended to grant exclusive possession and therefore extinguish native Title? Why does point 6 of the proposed plan refer to 'mining on national parks' as one of the future mining activities affected by 'right to negotiate' procedures? "The proposals in the ten-point plan indicate a massive transfer of powers over land management and indigenous affairs from the Commonwealth to the States." "The ACF is seeking the Prime Minister's clarification about whether or not he is proposing the most radical change to the land management system in this continent since colonisation", Mr Downey said