Around Australia businesses which approach native title in good faith are getting results. Companies are negotiating agreements with indigenous people that benefit everyone. These companies are gaining a competitive edge in the market place by seeing native title as part of doing business, avoiding costly and lengthy court cases, as well as conflict with local communities. There is now a growing number of concluded agreements between native title holders, business, industry and local government. The Tourism Council Australia issued a paper in March 1997 endorsing the negotiation of agreements with native title holders.
Negotiated outcomes are preferable'.
In September 1996, the Jawoyn people in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory signed on to the largest single commercial deal in Australian history involving Aboriginal interests. The signing heralded a major expansion of Aboriginal involvement in the Pegasus Mt Todd Gold Mine. This project makes Pegasus Australia's fifth largest gold miner. The historic agreement addressed the aspirations of native title holders as well as the broader interests of the local community and local government. Negotiations took two years, but in the end it took just 40 minutes in the Federal Court to finalise the consent agreement.