Native Title Act 1993

Subject to this Act, a law of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory may confirm:

any existing ownership of natural resources by the Crown in right of the Commonwealth, the State or the Territory, as the case may be; or

any existing right of the Crown in that capacity to use, control and regulate the flow of water; or

that any existing fishing access rights prevail over any other public or private fishing rights.

A law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory may confirm any existing public access to and enjoyment of:

waterways; or

beds and banks or foreshores of waterways; or

coastal waters; or

beaches; or

stock‑routes; or

areas that were public places at the end of 31 December 1993.

Any confirmation under this section does not extinguish any native title rights and interests and does not affect any conferral of land or waters, or an interest in land or waters, under a law that confers benefits only on Aboriginal peoples or Torres Strait Islanders.