Introduction
These pages have information about how Aboriginal land is owned and managed in the Northern Territory (NT).
Under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA), Aboriginal land is freehold land granted and held by Aboriginal land trusts for the benefit of Traditional Aboriginal Owners.
Depending on land tenure type, government, public or private infrastructure (non-mining) on Aboriginal land is secured under a leasing or licensing arrangement pursuant to section 19 or 19A of ALRA.
Land councils
Land councils are Commonwealth government authorities that have legal functions including consulting with and expressing the wishes of traditional Aboriginal people with an interest in the affected land, and negotiating land tenure leasing arrangements.
Northern Territory Government (NTG) assets on Aboriginal land
There are different types of land lease arrangements over NTG assets on for Aboriginal owned land in the NT.
These are the main NTG lease types:
- infrastructure
- essential power, water and sewer
- government employee housing
- remote community housing
- whole of township.
Infrastructure leases
Generally, long-term infrastructure leases are negotiated for all government facilities for a term up to 40 years.
They include:
- schools
- health centres
- police stations
- training centres
- power stations and
- housing for government employees.
Remote community housing leases
Housing leases support NT and Australian government investments to maintain and build new housing in remote communities. The latest Federal Government agreement expires in 2034.
Traditional Aboriginal owners can approve leases over all existing housing, subdivision areas and new community housing lots in their community.
You can get more information about the joint NT and Australian Government Federal Funding Agreement on remote housing delivered through Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development website.
S19A ALRA township leases
These are long term head leases that are held and administered by an 'approved entity' within the meaning of the ALRA.
The terms of the head lease are negotiated between the parties and the Traditional Owners with the help of land councils.
Instead of a Land Council being the representative entity, several communities are administered by 'approved entities' such as the Executive Director of Township Leasing on behalf of the Australian Government, others are through representative organisations like Gundieihmi Aboriginal Corporation Jabiru Town.
The NTG will negotiate with the 'approved entity' for any land tenure approvals.
How NTG leases are negotiated
Leases for infrastructure, essential services, housing and future development on Aboriginal land are negotiated and coordinated by the Land Tenure Unit (LTU), part of the Housing and Land Servicing Branch within the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure.
The LTU works closely with traditional land owners through their respective land councils, approved entities and Aboriginal land owing corporations and other NT and Australian Government agencies to get approvals.
Contact
Land Tenure Unit
Housing and Land Servicing
Department of Logistics and Infrastructure
GPO Box 1680
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: (08) 8999 1913
landtenure.dli@nt.gov.au
Land council roles and contacts
There are 4 land councils in the Northern Territory:
Aboriginal Land Councils have legal power to help Aboriginal people negotiate with governments and private companies over proposed projects or activities operating on their land through a lease or licence.
They also support Aboriginal people to manage their land and sea, including issuing permits to enter, fish, film and perform other activities on Aboriginal land.
You can contact the relevant land council to apply for permits.
Read the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
Permits for entry and other activities
You may need an entry permit and other permits, if you're planning to go fishing, camping, filming, bush walking, hunting, undertaking research or travelling in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT).
This is because large areas of the NT are Aboriginal land.
Aboriginal land is any area given back to traditional owners under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. There are entry rules and cultural protocols that must be followed.
Read about fishing on Aboriginal land.
How to apply for permits
There are four land councils in the NT that manage applications for permits for specific areas and activities. If a community is leased under s19A then you should contact the relevant 'approved entity'.
Read about land council roles and contacts.
You should contact a land council to check if you need entry or any other permits if you're a:
- government employee
- government contractor
- member of the public.
Where you don't need an entry permit
You don't need an entry permit to directly access any of the following areas on Aboriginal land:
- airstrips
- landing places
- main access roads into major communities
- public areas within the communities.