The Cape York Land Council has lodged one of Australia's largest single native title claims, covering much of the Cape York peninsula in Far North Queensland.
The council lodged the claim in the Federal Court on behalf of nine traditional owners over an area covering 14.6 million hectares.
With the Queensland government opening the region up to more mining, the traditional owners decided they would be better off working together rather than pursuing separate claims.
The claim in the Federal Court is the largest ever single native title claim in Australia. (Pic: National Native Land Tribunal)
Olkola Aboriginal Corporation head Mike Ross is one claimant.
Mr Ross said traditional owners taking a unified stance was important, since the Cape was under pressure from mining and other interests.
"It's been too long that traditional owners haven't had a say for what happened on their country through developments and stuff. We're not against development, we're not against mining, we're not against improvement in town areas. We'd like to be on the table in the forefront," Mr Ross told SBS.
Listen to the chair of the Olkola Aboriginal Corporation, Mike Ross speaking with SBS journalist Greg Dyett.
Cape York Land Council chairman Richie Ah Mat said the claim's outcome could be a win-win for all Cape York people and organisations.
"This can provide enormous efficiencies for traditional owners, miners, government and other stakeholders," he said
Mr Ross stressed the claim was not designed to be divisive.
"It's not against white or black, I believe, it's not against development, it's not against mining, it's not against pastoral leases, it's not against the local council that. It's about, 'let's talk together, what's going to happen to the Cape and let's develop the Cape in a way that we will all live with," he added.
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