Advocate urges Native Title overhaul following fraud charges in Cape York

Joseph Guenzler
Joseph Guenzler Published June 30, 2025 at 11.15am (AWST)

Mapoon man and Cairns-based Aboriginal affairs advocate Jack Wilkie-Jans has called for a full review of the Native Title system, citing long-standing concerns over transparency and governance failures.

Mr Wilkie-Jans alleged communities across remote and regional Australia continue to be affected by poor leadership and unresolved misconduct in Native Title processes.

"We were asked [then] to look to and lean on 'existing frameworks' to empower the Voice," Mr Wilkie-Jans said.

"I don't trust the current bureaucracy which exists, for example: Native Title representative bodies or the Tribunal. Especially in light of decades of unresolved misconduct allegations."

The comments follow recent calls by Ms Pat Anderson AO for new leadership in Indigenous affairs.

Mr Wilkie-Jans has urged Attorney-General Ms Michelle Rowland to respond to concerns raised in Parliament and the media, investigate allegations of corruption across Land Councils, and initiate a full review of the Native Title Act 1993.

"We trust Labor to do this, since they made our business so demonstrably theirs throughout the Voice campaign, and to do so with transparency, vigour and compassion," he said.

"They must launch review processes into the relevance of the existing Native Title Act (1993), and investigate allegations of corruption across and various Land Councils.

"I also hope the new-look Coalition will supply bipartisan and altruistic support to such calls."

Mr Wilkie-Jans is the great-grand nephew of Denny Bowenda and Eric King, both claimants in the landmark Wik case of 1996.

His call comes after the former Cape York Land Council CEO Dion Creek was charged with 38 fraud-related offences over his time leading the organisation.

"I've been speaking to many Traditional Owners across Cape York Peninsula who are actively trying to gain a foothold in the 'political will' of our leaders who are ignoring very real concerns of corruption in Native Title processes," Mr Wilkie-Jans said.

"They have nowhere to turn except to encourage me to go public on their behalf."

Mr Wilkie-Jans raised specific concerns with the Cape York United #1 Claim, describing it as lacking cultural clarity and transparency.

"The Cape York United #1 Claim is a behemoth of a claim and is totally bereft of meaningful motivation and cultural boundaries," he said.

"It actively seeks to envelope existing claims and already determined lands into its immense fold - with no transparency on how this [sort of thing] can be manufactured under hidden Rule Books, or for whatever practical purpose."

He noted a grassroots campaign against the claim between 2014 and 2016 was ignored by the Cape York Land Council, the Tribunal and the Commonwealth.

Mr Wilkie-Jans also raised concerns about the broader implications of the Act, suggesting national interests may be at risk.

"Such Land Claims, coupled with the corporate influence that certain key players in that space have, begs questions of national security and foreign interference, too," he said.

"That the frameworks of the Act can simultaneously cut-out the very peoples whose cultural ambitions it was meant to uphold, while also allowing immense sway over resources and Rare Earth Minerals access above the peoples and Crown, in a time of scarcity and geopolitical uncertainty, is of grave concern."

In response, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland MP told National Indigenous Times a "significant" review of the Native Title Act is underway.

"A significant review of the future acts regime under the Native Title Act 1993 is currently being undertaken by the Australian Law Reform Commission," they said.

"Information about the Review, including the terms of reference, is available on the Australian Law Reform Commission website."

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National Indigenous Times

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