Court 'restores' Perth to Aborigines
Wednesday 20 September 2006, 19:33 Makka Time, 16:33 GMT

John Howard, the Australian prime minister, has expressed "considerable concern" after a surprise federal court decision granted Aborigines a title claim over one of Australia's major cities, Perth.

Howard told reporters on Wednesday that the federal government would consider joining an appeal against the ruling expected to be lodged by the government of Western Australia, of which Perth is the capital.

"My initial reaction is one of some considerable concern," he said.

The landmark judgement marks the first time that a large metropolitan area in Australia has been ruled to belong to the indigenous people who lived there before white settlers arrived, lawyers said.

The decision, which sent lawyers, homeowners and officials scurrying to assess the impact, could lead to similar claims over other cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, native title specialist lawyer Christine Lovitt told AFP.

The judge found that the Nyoongar people had proven native title over more than 6,000 square km covering Perth and its surroundings by continuing to observe traditional customs despite being largely dispossessed by white settlement in 1829.

Source: Al Jazeera