About Susanne

Susanne joined Maddocks as a lawyer, having spent over ten years as a qualified archaeologist and anthropologist, specialising in Indigenous engagement, cultural heritage and native title. She has experience in mining, land access, native title, cultural heritage and stakeholder engagement.

Susanne has worked all over Australia and has experience in managing state agreements, regulatory approvals and agreements, land access, native title, landowner and heritage approvals. She has developed and implemented land access approvals systems for mines in Western Australia, as well as negotiating, drafting and implementing regional-wide native title agreements, cultural heritage management plans and mine closure plans.

She has worked in State and government agencies in Western Australia and Victoria and has drafted and helped implement Reconciliation Action Plans and pro bono strategies focused on assisting Indigenous and Torres Strait Island communities.

Susanne has volunteered for Indigenous Education programs, undertaken pro bono work as an archaeologist and lawyer on behalf of Aboriginal Communities in native title and cultural heritage matters and is a member of the Maddocks RAP working group.

She is recommended by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2023) Guide for her work in Native Title.

Experience

• Warrabinga Native Title Claimants Aboriginal Corporation and Warrabinga Wiradjuri People #7

  Acting on the native title claim for the Warrabinga people and advising on multiple future act negotiations.

• Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council (pro bono)

  Successfully conducting a contested non-claimant native title application in the Federal Court in relation to land granted to the client under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW).

• Various Victorian local councils

  Acting for a group of Victorian councils as respondents in a native title claim in the Federal Court and a related proposed settlement under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic). This has included providing advice on a complex settlement package proposed by the State and the implications of this for the Councils considering their various land holdings.

• Nungaroo Local Aboriginal Land Council

  Advising on the interaction between native title and Aboriginal land claims, risks to amending an Aboriginal Land Agreement boundary, and options in relation to agreements with native title claimants.

• Confidential private clients

  Assisting in major acquisition due diligence projects for multiple global law firms in relation to native title, Aboriginal land claims, Crown land and heritage.

• Local Aboriginal Land Councils

  Assisting Local Aboriginal land Councils in New South Wales with non-claimant applications and proof of extinguishment.