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au_133
Australia and its People › History
What is the significance of the Wik decision of 1996?
- A government decision to settle native title claims through negotiation
- A court ruling that ended native title rights on all pastoral land
- A High Court ruling that confirmed native title could coexist with pastoral leases in certain circumstances
Why this is the correct answer
In the 1996 Wik decision, the High Court of Australia ruled that the granting of a pastoral lease did not necessarily extinguish native title — the two forms of title could coexist in certain circumstances. This built on the Mabo decision of 1992 and had significant implications for land management and Indigenous rights across Australia. The decision led to amendments to the Native Title Act in 1998.