Chatfield on behalf of the Gomeroi People v Attorney-General of New South Wales [2023] FCA 354

Chatfield on behalf of the Gomeroi People v Attorney-General of New South Wales [2023] FCA 354

Mr Parkes did not demonstrate on a prima facie basis that his interests—either as an individual or as a representative of the Ibbai Waggan people—may be affected by the determination in the Gomeroi native title proceedings so as to warrant joinder under s 84(5) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). Additionally, it was not in the interests of justice to permit his joinder given the insufficiency of his evidence, the existence of alternative mechanisms to express his views, and delay in bringing the application.

Parties
First Applicant: Sidney Chatfield; Second Applicant: Peter White; Third Applicant: Anthony Munro; Fourth Applicant: Elaine Binge; Fifth Applicant: Susan Smith; Sixth Applicant: Christine Porter; Seventh Applicant: Shannon Draper; Eighth Applicant: Noeline Sherill "Sheryl" Nicholls; Ninth Applicant: Malcolm Talbot; Tenth Applicant: Leslie Woodbridge; Eleventh Applicant: Richard Green; Twelfth Applicant: Clayton Simpson-Pitt; Thirteenth Applicant: Chris McGrady; Fourteenth Applicant: Madeline McGrady; Fifteenth Applicant: Allan Tighe; Sixteenth Applicant: Dorothy Tighe; Seventeenth Applicant: Donald Murray; Eighteenth Applicant: Ian Brown; Nineteenth Applicant: Lee-Ann Pearl Davern; First Respondent: Attorney General of New South Wales; Second Respondent: Commonwealth of Australia; Third Respondent: Coonamble Shire Council; Sixth Respondent: Gwydir Shire Council; Seventh Respondent: Inverell Shire Council; Eighth Respondent: Liverpool Plains Shire Council; Ninth Respondent: Mid-Western Regional Council; Tenth Respondent: Moree Plains Shire Council; Eleventh Respondent: Muswellbrooke Shire Council; Twelfth Respondent: Narrabri Shire Council; Thirteenth Respondent: New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council; Fourteenth Respondent: Tamworth Regional Council; Fifteenth Respondent: Upper Hunter Shire Council; Sixteenth Respondent: Walgett Shire Council; Seventeenth Respondent: Moree Local Aboriginal Land Council; Nineteenth Respondent: Rhonda Sandow; Roger Knox; Veronica Jarrett; Cyril Logan; Russell Doctor & Elaine Georgetown; Twentieth Respondent: Scott McCain Franks and Robert John Lester of the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua People; Twenty Second Respondent: Altomonte Holdings Pty Ltd; Twenty Third Respondent: Aubrey Robert Mills & Kay Denise Mills; Thirty Second Respondent: Canalta Farms Pty Limited; Thirty Third Respondent: Corish Farms Pty Limited; Thirty Fourth Respondent: Peter James Corish; Forty Second Respondent: Richard Lucas Estens; Forty Seventh Respondent: Global Ag Properties Australia Pty Ltd; Forty Eighth Respondent: Andrew Hegarty; Fiftieth Respondent: Graincorp Operations Ltd; Fifty Third Respondent: Alison Clout; Fifty Fifth Respondent: IAI Australia Pty Ltd; Fifty Sixth Respondent: Anthony Simon Irwin; Fifty Ninth Respondent: Jonathon Noel Phelps & Wendy Susan Phelps; Sixtieth Respondent: Kenneth Daniel Malone & Julianne Patricia Malone; Sixty Second Respondent: Kevin Maxwell Kilby and Jennifer Mary Kilby; Sixty Sixth Respondent: Laurella Moree Pty Limited; Sixty Ninth Respondent: Geoffrey Eric Locke; Seventieth Respondent: Macintyre Irrigation Association South Drain; Seventy First Respondent: Janetta Barbara Matchett; Eighty Second Respondent: Narratigah Pty Limited; Eighty Fifth Respondent: Nundle Common Trust; Eighty Seventh Respondent: Paul Ramsay Agribusiness Pty Ltd; Ninety First Respondent: David Evan Phelps; Ninety Sixth Respondent: Ramsay Pastoral Pty Ltd; One Hundred Fourth Respondent: Sonica Pty Ltd also trading for Roslyn Unit Trust; One Hundred Fifth Respondent: Stephen R Crowley & Therese A Crowley; One Hundred Seventh Respondent: Sunnyside (Moree) Pty Limited; One Hundred Eighth Respondent: The Cuan Pastoral Company Pty Ltd; One Hundred Tenth Respondent: Ian Robert Turnbull; One Hundred Twelfth Respondent: Warialda Showground Trust; One Hundred Thirteenth Respondent: Wayne John Evans & Shelley Lee Evans; One Hundred Fourteenth Respondent: William Nelson Baker & Margaret Ellen Baker; One Hundred Fifteenth Respondent: Mark Alan Winter; One Hundred Seventeenth Respondent: George James Woodham; One Hundred Twenty First Respondent: Anglo Coal (Dartbrook) Pty Ltd ACN 001 012 813; One Hundred Twenty Second Respondent: Aston Coal 2 Pty Ltd ACN 139 472 567; One Hundred Twenty Fourth Respondent: Boggabri Coal Pty Ltd ACN 001 787 711; One Hundred Twenty Fifth Respondent: Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd; One Hundred Twenty Ninth Respondent: Mangoola Coal Operations Pty Ltd; One Hundred Thirtieth Respondent: Muswellbrook Coal Company Ltd; One Hundred Thirty First Respondent: (Collectively known as the Santos Respondent) Santos QNT Pty Ltd; Eastern Energy Australia Pty Ltd; Eastern Star Gas Ltd; Hillgrove Energy Pty Ltd; Narrabri Power Pty Ltd; Santos Wilga Park Pty Ltd; Betel Gas Pty Ltd; Eastern Star Operations; One Hundred Thirty Second Respondent: Ulan Coal Mines Ltd (ACN 000 189 248); One Hundred Thirty Fourth Respondent: Juan Conejo & Teresa Conejo; One Hundred Thirty Sixth Respondent: Auralee Maureen Lillyman & Lillyman Pastoral Co.; One Hundred Thirty Eighth Respondent: Tundunna Pty Limited; One Hundred Fortieth Respondent: Telstra Corporation Limited; One Hundred Forty First Respondent: Essential Energy; One Hundred Forty Second Respondent: Transgrid; One Hundred Forty Third Respondent: NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager; One Hundred Forty Fourth Respondent: Walgett RSL Memorial Club Ltd; One Hundred Forty Fifth Respondent: Amplitel Pty Ltd; Prospective Respondent: Mr Stephen Parkes
Jurisdiction
Australia
Judgment Date
20 April 2023
Procedural Posture
Native Title/interlocutory Application / Interlocutory Application for Joinder Dismissal
Outcome
Application dismissed
Legal Topics
Joinder of Parties, Party Status, Native Title Act 1993, Procedural Fairness, Indigenous Rights
Native Title Joinder of Parties Party Status Native Title Act 1993 Procedural Fairness Indigenous Rights

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Parties

Sidney Chatfield

First Applicant

Peter White

Second Applicant

Anthony Munro

Third Applicant

Elaine Binge

Fourth Applicant

Susan Smith

Fifth Applicant

Christine Porter

Sixth Applicant

Shannon Draper

Seventh Applicant

Noeline Sherill "Sheryl" Nicholls

Eighth Applicant

Malcolm Talbot

Ninth Applicant

Leslie Woodbridge

Tenth Applicant

Richard Green

Eleventh Applicant

Clayton Simpson-Pitt

Twelfth Applicant

Chris McGrady

Thirteenth Applicant

Madeline McGrady

Fourteenth Applicant

Allan Tighe

Fifteenth Applicant

Dorothy Tighe

Sixteenth Applicant

Donald Murray

Seventeenth Applicant

Ian Brown

Eighteenth Applicant

Lee-Ann Pearl Davern

Nineteenth Applicant

Attorney General of New South Wales

First Respondent

Commonwealth of Australia

Second Respondent

Coonamble Shire Council

Third Respondent

Gwydir Shire Council

Sixth Respondent

Inverell Shire Council

Seventh Respondent

Liverpool Plains Shire Council

Eighth Respondent

Mid-Western Regional Council

Ninth Respondent

Moree Plains Shire Council

Tenth Respondent

Muswellbrooke Shire Council

Eleventh Respondent

Narrabri Shire Council

Twelfth Respondent

New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council

Thirteenth Respondent

Tamworth Regional Council

Fourteenth Respondent

Upper Hunter Shire Council

Fifteenth Respondent

Walgett Shire Council

Sixteenth Respondent

Moree Local Aboriginal Land Council

Seventeenth Respondent

Rhonda Sandow; Roger Knox; Veronica Jarrett; Cyril Logan; Russell Doctor & Elaine Georgetown

Nineteenth Respondent

Scott McCain Franks and Robert John Lester of the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua People

Twentieth Respondent

Altomonte Holdings Pty Ltd

Twenty Second Respondent

Aubrey Robert Mills & Kay Denise Mills

Twenty Third Respondent

Canalta Farms Pty Limited

Thirty Second Respondent

Corish Farms Pty Limited

Thirty Third Respondent

Peter James Corish

Thirty Fourth Respondent

Richard Lucas Estens

Forty Second Respondent

Global Ag Properties Australia Pty Ltd

Forty Seventh Respondent

Andrew Hegarty

Forty Eighth Respondent

Graincorp Operations Ltd

Fiftieth Respondent

Alison Clout

Fifty Third Respondent

IAI Australia Pty Ltd

Fifty Fifth Respondent

Anthony Simon Irwin

Fifty Sixth Respondent

Jonathon Noel Phelps & Wendy Susan Phelps

Fifty Ninth Respondent

Kenneth Daniel Malone & Julianne Patricia Malone

Sixtieth Respondent

Kevin Maxwell Kilby and Jennifer Mary Kilby

Sixty Second Respondent

Laurella Moree Pty Limited

Sixty Sixth Respondent

Geoffrey Eric Locke

Sixty Ninth Respondent

Macintyre Irrigation Association South Drain

Seventieth Respondent

Janetta Barbara Matchett

Seventy First Respondent

Narratigah Pty Limited

Eighty Second Respondent

Nundle Common Trust

Eighty Fifth Respondent

Paul Ramsay Agribusiness Pty Ltd

Eighty Seventh Respondent

David Evan Phelps

Ninety First Respondent

Ramsay Pastoral Pty Ltd

Ninety Sixth Respondent

Sonica Pty Ltd also trading for Roslyn Unit Trust

One Hundred Fourth Respondent

Stephen R Crowley & Therese A Crowley

One Hundred Fifth Respondent

Sunnyside (Moree) Pty Limited

One Hundred Seventh Respondent

The Cuan Pastoral Company Pty Ltd

One Hundred Eighth Respondent

Ian Robert Turnbull

One Hundred Tenth Respondent

Warialda Showground Trust

One Hundred Twelfth Respondent

Wayne John Evans & Shelley Lee Evans

One Hundred Thirteenth Respondent

William Nelson Baker & Margaret Ellen Baker

One Hundred Fourteenth Respondent

Mark Alan Winter

One Hundred Fifteenth Respondent

George James Woodham

One Hundred Seventeenth Respondent

Anglo Coal (Dartbrook) Pty Ltd ACN 001 012 813

One Hundred Twenty First Respondent

Aston Coal 2 Pty Ltd ACN 139 472 567

One Hundred Twenty Second Respondent

Boggabri Coal Pty Ltd ACN 001 787 711

One Hundred Twenty Fourth Respondent

Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd

One Hundred Twenty Fifth Respondent

Mangoola Coal Operations Pty Ltd

One Hundred Twenty Ninth Respondent

Muswellbrook Coal Company Ltd

One Hundred Thirtieth Respondent

(Collectively known as the Santos Respondent) Santos QNT Pty Ltd; Eastern Energy Australia Pty Ltd; Eastern Star Gas Ltd; Hillgrove Energy Pty Ltd; Narrabri Power Pty Ltd; Santos Wilga Park Pty Ltd; Betel Gas Pty Ltd; Eastern Star Operations

One Hundred Thirty First Respondent

Ulan Coal Mines Ltd (ACN 000 189 248)

One Hundred Thirty Second Respondent

Juan Conejo & Teresa Conejo

One Hundred Thirty Fourth Respondent

Auralee Maureen Lillyman & Lillyman Pastoral Co.

One Hundred Thirty Sixth Respondent

Tundunna Pty Limited

One Hundred Thirty Eighth Respondent

Telstra Corporation Limited

One Hundred Fortieth Respondent

Essential Energy

One Hundred Forty First Respondent

Transgrid

One Hundred Forty Second Respondent

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager

One Hundred Forty Third Respondent

Walgett RSL Memorial Club Ltd

One Hundred Forty Fourth Respondent

Amplitel Pty Ltd

One Hundred Forty Fifth Respondent

Mr Stephen Parkes

Prospective Respondent

Procedural Posture

Native Title/interlocutory Application / Interlocutory Application for Joinder Dismissal

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether Mr Parkes' interests may be affected by a determination in the proceedings under s 84(5) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)
  2. 2 Whether it is in the interests of justice to allow joinder of Mr Parkes as a party

Ratio Decidendi

Mr Parkes did not demonstrate on a prima facie basis that his interests—either as an individual or as a representative of the Ibbai Waggan people—may be affected by the determination in the Gomeroi native title proceedings so as to warrant joinder under s 84(5) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). Additionally, it was not in the interests of justice to permit his joinder given the insufficiency of his evidence, the existence of alternative mechanisms to express his views, and delay in bringing the application.

Court Disposition

Application dismissed

Orders

  • The interlocutory application filed by Mr Stephen Parkes dated 6 September 2022 be dismissed.