Remote Aboriginal Communities Cry Out as Wage-Theft Settlement Leaves Hundreds Unregistered
People in north-east Arnhem Land allege the $202 million historical wage-theft class action did not adequately inform eligible Aboriginal claimants, leading to calls for a national redress scheme.
A $202 million settlement for historic wage theft on Northern Territory pastoral stations was secured by former worker Minnie McDonald, representing thousands of Aboriginal employees from 1933 to 1971. By the time the Federal Court closed registrations in October 2025, only 5,761 of an estimated 8,750 eligible workers and descendants had lodged claims, leaving many remote residents unaware of the opportunity. Community groups like Aboriginal Resource and Development Services and Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation attempted outreach with minimal resources, registering about 350 people but unable to cover the entire region.
The settlement’s costs heavily favored Shine Lawyers ($15 million), LLS Fund Services ($30 million) and Deloitte ($3.2 million), while each claimant received at least $10,000. Frustrated elders, including Wanyubi Marika, highlighted lingering confusion and financial abuse concerns, prompting calls for a national redress scheme to provide a consistent, long-term avenue for wage-theft victims across Australia.
Why it matters
It shows how inadequate outreach can deny Indigenous victims compensation and fuels debate over a national scheme for wage-theft redress.
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