Land Rights Reforms Empower Aboriginal Territorians

Media release - Minister Wyatt

The Morrison Government has today introduced to Parliament the most comprehensive set of reforms to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 since its enactment, with the Economic Empowerment Bill.

“Fifty-five years on from when Vincent Lingiari and other Gurindji people walked off Wave Hill station and brought land rights to the fore of the national conversation, I am proud to continue this journey in partnership with Aboriginal Territorians,” Minister Wyatt said.

“The Land Rights Act provides the strongest form of traditional land title in Australia and we want to make sure that Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory results in greater economic opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians.

“These reforms, co-designed with the Northern Territory Land Councils, deliver on what Indigenous Australians in the NT have been seeking for decades.”

Most notably, the Morrison Government will be establishing a new Aboriginal-controlled corporate Commonwealth entity, called the Northern Territory Aboriginal Investment Corporation (NTAIC), to invest funding from the Aboriginals Benefit Account that collects and distributes royalty equivalents from mining on Aboriginal land.

The NTAIC will receive an initial injection of $500 million, $60 million a year for the first three years, as well as ongoing funding to bring decision making much closer to the people it affects.

The Aboriginal‑led Board will use this funding to strategically invest in projects that will grow wealth and support sustainable Aboriginal economies for the long term – for generations ahead.

“The effects of growing Aboriginal economies will flow across the NT economy, with more jobs and more business opportunities flowing from the investment. A conservative estimate shows a boost to Gross Regional Product in the NT to be $60 million each and every year out to 2029-30,” Minister Wyatt said.

“The reforms also reduce red-tape, by making mining and exploration licence processes easier while still preserving Traditional Owners’ rights, and provide greater certainty by strengthening township leasing arrangements.

“More than 47 per cent of the Northern Territory is now Aboriginal land and Aboriginal Territorians, along with Indigenous peoples all over Australia, are seeking new ways to activate the social and economic potential that comes from this.

“The changes signal a new era of economic empowerment for Aboriginal people – to unlock the potential of their land and grow their communities and their culture for generations to come.”