Indigenous Rights Advocate Discusses Land Reclamation Through Adverse Possession in Australia

A recent video circulating online features a man discussing the disproportionately high incarceration rate of Indigenous youth in Queensland, where 70% of youth in detention are Indigenous, despite making up only 4.5% of the population. The speaker then delves into Australian land ownership laws, referencing the "Western Australia v Brown [2014] HCA 8; 253 CLR 507" High Court case and Section 28 of the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019. He suggests that Indigenous people can utilize the legal principle of "adverse possession," often referred to as "squatter's rights," to reclaim abandoned properties on their ancestral lands. The speaker asserts that this method reflects how Australia was originally acquired by settlers, operating on the principle that "if you don't use it, you lose it." He offers practical advice, encouraging individuals to identify abandoned houses with signs of neglect, such as smashed windows or overgrown grass, and then occupy them. He suggests changing locks, maintaining the property, and potentially connecting utilities like water or installing solar panels. According to the speaker, after 12 years of uninterrupted possession, individuals can legally claim the deed to the property for their families.