Australia's biggest native title claim - covering 14.6m ha (36m acres) of land and waters - has been lodged in a Brisbane court.
The claim - filed on behalf of nine traditional owners - refers to much of the Cape York peninsula in the far-north of Queensland.
The owners hope that by uniting their efforts they will avoid a long legal battle as was the case in the past.
Under the claim, any land development will require consent from the owners.
The Queensland government and private firms have been recently looking to open up the region to more mining and agriculture.
'Exclusive' title
The claim was filed in the federal court on the behalf of the owners by the Cape York Land Council.