The proposed site for the Anketell Port and Strategic Industrial Area is subject to a range of various parcels of tenure, including native title lands, pastoral leasehold lands, private land and mining tenements.
Under the Native Title Act 1993 (Commonwealth), the Western Australian Government is required to consult and negotiate in good faith with native title holders when creating suitable land tenure for the proposed Anketell Port project.
The Ngarluma people are the Traditional Owners and native title holders over a large area of the land proposed for the project, and the Western Australian Government worked closely with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation – the Traditional Owners’ representative body – to negotiate native title matters.
In April 2014, the government signed a significant native title agreement with the Ngarluma people, providing secure tenure over 4,300 hectares of coastal land and providing for an Aboriginal Heritage Act protocol. The agreement protects local Aboriginal culture and heritage, and will provide education, training and employment opportunities.