Representing and advocating for Traditional Owner rights and heritage

The National Native Title Council (NNTC) is the peak body representing the native title sector and Traditional Owners across Australia.
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Photo credit: Benjamin Warlngundu Bayliss

Our Mission

Our mission is to champion the rights and interests of our members through proactive advocacy, meaningful networking, and skill-building opportunities. By supporting our members in developing the tools and knowledge to navigate the native title sector effectively, we elevate Traditional Owner voices to a national level.

Our work is guided by a rights-based approach rooted in best practice standards, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The NNTC is the secretariat for the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance and Sea Country Alliance, the PBC Steering Group, a member of the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance with the Australian National University and the Coalition of the Peaks, and partner of the Mabo Centre with the University of Melbourne.


Organisation Highlights

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NNTC updates its brand

Have you noticed something different? As we celebrate 20 years of the NNTC, we are refreshing our brand to better reflect who we are today and our core values.

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DNBII Guides

The Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Guides are the only First Nations-Led Guides on the Protection of First Nations Cultural Heritage in our region.

Featured image for “Visit us at the AIATSIS Summit in Darwin.”

Visit us at the AIATSIS Summit in Darwin.

The NNTC team will be heading to Larrakia Country for the 2025 AIATSIS Summit! Be sure to swing by the Exhibitors Hall and visit us from Wednesday 4th – Friday 6th June.

Featured image for “PBC Director Training, July 2025”

PBC Director Training, July 2025

NSW mob, we’re coming back! We’ll be on Yaegl Country in Yamba for our next PBC Director Training held on Tuesday 15th – Friday 18th July 2025.

Latest News

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Our Stories
20/5/25

Native Title Compensation Videos

A Native Title compensation application is made by native title holders seeking compensation for the...
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Media Release
14/5/25

TRADITIONAL OWNERS JOIN INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR RESPONSIBLE MINING ASSURANCE

14 May 2025 The National Native Title Council (NNTC) is pleased to support the Initiative...
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Media Release
20/3/25

Commonwealth of Australia v Yunupingu [2025] HCA 6

12 March 2025 The National Native Title Council (NNTC) welcomes the decision of the High...

Honouring Dr Eddie Koiki Mabo

Dr Eddie Koiki Mabo’s legacy reshaped Australia, overturning the false doctrine of terra nullius and securing recognition of First Nations’ land rights.

In 1982, Eddie Koiki Mabo, James Rice, and David Passi, together with Bonita Mabo, Sam Passi, and Celuia Mapo Salee, began a decade-long legal fight for justice. Their perseverance led to the landmark 1992 High Court decision in Mabo v Queensland (No. 2), establishing the legal doctrine of native title in Australia which confirmed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have enduring rights to their lands and waters. This historic ruling dismantled the lie that Australia was "nobody’s land," laying the foundation for Native Title and empowering Traditional Owners to reclaim and protect Country.

Mabo’s courage and determination continues to inspire generations. The NNTC proudly carries his legacy forward, advocating for land, sea, and cultural justice for First Nations peoples across Australia.

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Photo credit: Bethyl Mabo, AIATSIS

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