WA left to fund native title claims

The Abbott Government would contribute less than $11 million to the historic $1.3 billion native title settlement covering Perth and the South West, Colin Barnett told State Parliament yesterday.

The revelation comes 21 years after former prime minister Paul Keating promised that the Commonwealth would meet 75 per cent of the States' native title settlement costs after the passage of the Mabo native title legislation.

WA believed it had a commitment, first from Mr Keating in 1994 and then from former Liberal PM John Howard in 1998.

But it was never acknowledged by the Rudd or Gillard Labor governments and now Prime Minister Tony Abbott appears to be taking the same approach.

In question time yesterday, shadow indigenous affairs minister Ben Wyatt highlighted the Premier's 2012 statement that Ms Gillard's position not to contribute to settlements had "disappointed me more than any other act by a prime minister in my political life". Mr Wyatt asked Mr Barnett whether he had taken up the matter with the Abbott Government and whether he had received a better hearing. Mr Barnett said the Commonwealth would contribute only $10 million to the South West settlement.

_The West Australian _understands the total value is about $10.8 million, which constitutes about three years of Commonwealth funding to the South West Land and Sea Council and two properties valued about $500,000.

"I think it is wrong," Mr Barnett said. "I think in the greater scheme of things, the Commonwealth has reneged on a commitment that was made at the time of the Mabo legislation.

"I think that is not a fair outcome. The matter is certainly being pursued, because I think even at a minimum the Commonwealth should meet half the cost."

The cost of native title settlements is an issue that disproportionately affects WA because of its big amount of unallocated crown land and a relatively big number of unsettled claims.