Negotiating Mining Agreements under the Native Title Act 1993

om an economic perspective, mining should be allowed to occur on Aboiginal land up to die point where the cost to Aborigines equals the net social >enefits. However, economic analysis suggests that this level of mining may not be occurring under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA) (Industry Commission IC, 1991; Tasman Institute, 1993). This is either because transactions costs are hindering negotiations between miners and Aborigi nes or because some strategic behaviour problem is present.