The Federal court has formally recognised an Indigenous community as native title holders over land and waters around Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The Kabi Kabi people say it has been a long time coming but are 'elated' by the decision.
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00:00In a historic ruling by the Federal Court, the Cubby Cubby people are now recognised
00:07as native title holders of 365,000 hectares of land and water on Queensland's Sunshine
00:14Coast.
00:16This is a huge honour for our people and we need to celebrate it as one.
00:21I've got to acknowledge my ancestors and I've also got to acknowledge my elders.
00:27A lot of them have passed away since it started.
00:30Without them we wouldn't have got it started.
00:32It's the first time on Australia's east coast native title has been recognised in
00:37a heavily urbanised area.
00:39The non-exclusive rights include Gympie, Noosa, Mooroochydore, Kalaundra, Bribie Island and
00:45Majimba Island.
00:47The Cubby Cubby people got a right to move about on the land, to camp on the land, to
00:53build temporary structures, to teach their kids, to take some resources, to hunt and
00:59to fish.
01:00But all activity must still comply with Commonwealth and state laws.
01:04It doesn't give Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people land.
01:08It's not an inevitable outcome of native title that the claimants will get land.
01:12It's simply a recognition of the rights.
01:16I don't think there's anything here to be concerned about.
01:18In fact, if anything, it's an opportunity for us to better understand, better integrate
01:23those First Nations stories into our understanding of the land.
01:26This federal court decision only applies to part of the native title claim by the Cubby
01:30Cubby people.
01:31Further adjoining areas are yet to be determined.
01:34But for now, it's a moment being treasured.
01:37Congratulations to all my people for us to celebrate something that took a long time
01:44and congratulations to all of us.
01:48This is now hope for my children, my grandchildren and what we can do on our country moving forward.