I recently purchased a large block of land in Moss Vale. There is also a swamp on the property. I was told that native title claims can be brought on my land and that I will have to vacate the property. Is this true? Where can Native Title exist?
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Answer by Neha Sharma, Hillsdale 2036 NSW
- Native title claims can only be brought on Crown land and not freehold land. Native title cannot take away your rights of owning a property.
- Native title usually exists in:
- vacant Crown land;
- national parks;
- pastoral leases;
- beaches; or
- oceans, swamps, lakes and non privately owned bodies of water.
- Only in vary rare circumstances can native title claims defeat freehold ownership of individuals such as if the freehold ownership was wrongly or invalidly granted over the land.