LARRAKIA WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR NATIVE TITLE

29 April 1997

"Chief Minister Shane Stone's comments on radio today show that he is only interested in creating division amongst Territorians," Mr Risk said.

"Larrakia want a positive outcome on Native Title for all residents of Darwin. We have repeatedly said we will not charge access fees for parks and beaches.

"In fact it is the Northern Territory Government that is giving away our public foreshore to developers without regard for the general public's wishes.

"We are extremely disappointed that the Northern Territory Government has consistently refused our request to negotiate with the Larrakia.

"It does not matter what the Prime Minister's Native Title amendment package or the Northern Territory's Chief Minister say nobody can take away the fact that Larrakia people of legitimate Native Title rights in and around Darwin.

"If a negotiated out come cannot be reaches at all Territorians stand to lose. The Northern Territory Government is sticking its head in the sand about Native Title. The High Court has said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have Native Title Rights in Australia and those rights are now part of the common law.

"The Chief Minister's statements from this morning indicate that he is only interested in wiping out our Native Title rights. He must know that we will not sit back and accept a loss of our rights.

"We have written to the Chief Minister asking him to talk to us and he hasn't even bothered to reply to our letters."