The Eastern Maar traditional owner group, from south-west Victoria, lodged a native title claim in 2012 on behalf of Framlingham's Ivan Couzens and other families.

The group was given state government permission in November 2017 to negotiate a recognition and settlement agreement covering land from east of Lorne to west of Port Fairy and to north of Stawell.

Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation is chaired by former AFL high-flyer Jason Mifsud and its board includes former Australian Aboriginal leader Geoff Clark.

Interested groups and individuals across the south-west have now been contacted to participate.

Earlier this month Mr Clark said Eastern Maar would seek financial benefits from natural resources like gas and ownership of key Great Ocean Road infrastructure as part of a negotiated deal to end poverty for Aboriginal people.

But, Ron Arnold, of Apollo Bay, said the Gulidjan and Gadubanud clans had no marriage, blood or language ties with the main group involved with Eastern Maar west of Lake Colac.

He said the Eastern Maar claim was in no way representative of his clans.

"They are just trying to claim control," he said.

"We are trying to get pro bono legal support to lodge paperwork and contest the native title claim.

"We will be contesting all claims. Eastern Maar has not engaged with us, we have not been contacted and have no representation on the board."

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Mr Arnold said when he was invited to one native title meeting the gathering had already been held.

He said Richard Sharp was his great grandfather, giving him a direct link to past elders, which Eastern Maar claimed to represent.

"The justice department is making us jump through hoops, but we have a genealogical link to country and we're looking to be recognised," he said.

"Eastern Maar propose to represent us but they do not. We want to stand alone."

The 60-year-old said his clans covered an area from Princetown to Aireys Inlet and north up to the Western Highway back to Winchelsea.

"Eastern Maar has no links to here. This is about protecting our country and providing for the next generation," he said.

"We want to leave a legacy in place share and grow the whole community as one instead of ostracising people.

"We want to exclude ourselves from the current claim. We want to be our own group, do it properly. In my own family there are more than 300 members."

Mr Arnold said other groups with a direct genealogical link to the area would also come forward if his clans were allowed a separate native title claim.

"It's an indigenous political s... fight, there's a lot of feeling in this issue.

"I'm not sure why some people are so angry with us making our rightful claim. We stand for the truth, we don't want to steal from anyone. We want to work for everyone's benefit."

The elder said skeletal remains found during ongoing road works at Colac highlighted the issues.

He said he had been forced to sign in as an Eastern Maar worker to gain entry to the site of an ancestor.

"I signed in because otherwise I was being refused the right to work with those remains," he said.

"We should have been asked to have input into the handling of those remains.

"It's a very sensitive situation and to my knowledge the remains are still sitting in a locker at the Parks Victoria office in Colac."

Mr Arnold said there was no talk of repatriation of the remains.

"The traditional owners were not engaged with. There's been a total lack of empathy and respect for our people," he said.

"Eastern Maar has no true connections to this country."

Eastern Maar corporation chairman Jason Mifsud was contacted for comment, but has not responded.

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