What was the impact of the Wik decision for the Wik people concerning land use?

The Wik decision, rendered by the High Court of Australia in 1996, had significant implications for the Wik people concerning land use. The ruling determined that native title rights could coexist with pastoral leases, which were previously thought to extinguish such rights. As a result, the Wik people were granted the ability to exercise certain rights on land that was subject to pastoral leases, including the rights to camp and hunt.

This ruling recognized the ongoing connection of Indigenous peoples to their land, allowing them to engage in traditional practices even when that land was being used for other purposes, such as grazing. This was a landmark decision that affirmed the validity of Indigenous interests in land usage, providing an avenue for the Wik people to assert their rights in the face of competing land uses.

The other options do not reflect the outcome of the Wik decision. For example, the idea that pastoral leases extinguished their land rights is incorrect, as the decision clarified that native title could coexist with such leases. Similarly, the options regarding requiring the people to vacate the land or limiting their agricultural use do not align with the court's ruling, which aimed to protect and affirm the rights of Aboriginal peoples over their traditional lands.