Under the proposal, the government has committed to exploring the idea of shifting the burden of proof of connection to land from Aboriginal claimants to states, territories and others, reports say.

The government's "mind is open" to reversing the burden of proof in some aspects of native title claims, federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland said.

The native title system costs $120 million a year to manage and had cases dating back 10 years or more among the 477 claims still outstanding, Fairfax said.

The government's stance follows comments this week from High Court Chief Justice Robert French that all native title applicants should be presumed to have a "continuous existence and vitality since sovereignty" necessary to establish their claim under the legislation.

Many claims had failed because indigenous groups could not prove an ongoing cultural connection to land, often because of European dispossession, he said.

The Native Title Act should be amended so that extinguishment of native title could be disregarded if the claimant and a state government agreed, he said.

Mr McClelland said the government would consider shifting the burden of proof.

"If someone is the occupier of premises, you assume they have title to those premises," he said.

National Native Title Council chairman Brian Wyatt said many indigenous elders died before their rights were recognised under the present native title system, while indigenous leader Warren Mundine called for debate for "real, substantive change".