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New South Wales Aboriginal Land CouncilGround Floor 33 Argyle Street Parramatta NSW 2150PO Box 1125 Parramatta NSW 2124Tel: 02 9689 4444 • Fax: 02 9687 1234 • DX 28308 Parramatta 2150

Crown  Lands  Amendment  Bill  2014    

23  October  2014    On  the  21  October  2014  the  NSW  Minister  for  Natural  Resources,  Lands  and  Water   introduced  the  Crown  Lands  Amendment  (Public  Ownership  of  Beaches  and  Coastal  Lands)  Bill  2014  (the  Bill)  into  the  Legislative  Assembly.  The  NSW  Government   has   introduced   this   Bill  without   any   consultation   and   appears   to   be   seeking   to   rush   this   Bill  through  Parliament  in  this  session.      The  New  South  Wales  Aboriginal  Land  Council  (NSWALC)  has  identified  a  number  of  significant  concerns  with  the  Bill  which  NSWALC  believes  seriously  undermines  the  Aboriginal  Land  Rights  Act  and  limits  the  ability  of  Aboriginal  Land  Councils  to  make  claims  to  certain  Crown  Lands.      NSWALC  strongly  encourages   the  Aboriginal   Land  Rights  network   to  urgently   raise   concerns  about   the  Bill  with  Parliamentarians  (see  below).      Implications  of  the  Bill  The  Bill  proposes  to  allow  the  NSW  Government  to  classify  broad  areas  of  land  as  no  longer  claimable  under  the  Aboriginal  Land  Rights  Act  1983  (NSW)   (ALRA).  The  Bill  also  proposes  that  all  current  and  future  Aboriginal   land  claims  over  an  expanded  category  of  Crown  lands,  that  is,  beach  and  coastal  lands,  must  be  refused.      The  Red  Rock  case  This  Bill  is  the  NSW  Government's  response  to  a  decision  by  the  Land  and  Environment  Court  (LEC)  that  resulted  in  a   Local  Aboriginal   Land  Council   successfully   appealing   a  Minister’s   decision   regarding   an  Aboriginal   Land  Claim.  Orders   made   in   the   Red   Rock   case1  resulted   in   land   that   included   a   stretch   of   beach   and   foredune   being  transferred  to  an  Aboriginal  Land  Council,  subject  to  easements  for  public  access.    NSWALC’s  key  concerns  NSWALC’s  key  concerns  about  the  Bill  include:  

1. The  Bill  undermines  the  objects  and  purpose  of  the  Aboriginal  Land  Rights  Act  1983  (NSW)  and  is  an  unjustified  and  reactive  response  to  the  Red  Rock  decision;  

2. The   Bill   proposes   new   and   broad   definitions   of   'core   beach   land'   and   'Crown   beach   and   coastal   land'   and  proposes   new   and   expanded   definitions   of   what   lands   associated  with   beach   areas   that   will   no   longer   be  claimable;  

3. The  Bill  proposes  to  insert  a  new  section  that  will  stipulate  that  any  existing  land  claims  to  the  extent  that  they  relate   to  Crown  beach  and  coastal   land  must  be   refused.  These  provisions  are  retrospective  -­‐  they  will  affect  land  claims  that  have  been  lodged  but  not  yet  determined;    

4. NSWALC  contends  that  this  Bill  is  discriminatory  as  it  protects  existing  interests  of  other  Crown  land  users,  but  not  the  existing  interests  of  Aboriginal  Land  Councils  in  undetermined  claims.  

5. Proposed  section  64  of  the  Bill  contains  express  provisions  that  compensation  will  not  be  payable  as  a  result  of  this  Bill,  despite  Aboriginal  Land  Rights  being  significantly  undermined  as  a  result  of  the  Bill.    

6. There  was  no  consultation  with  NSWALC  prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  Bill  and  it  appears  that  the  Bill  is  being  rushed  through  Parliament  before  Parliament  closes  for  2014.  

1 A copy of the Land and Environment Court judgment Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal

Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2013] NSWLEC 216 can be accessed online at: http://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/action/PJUDG?jgmtid=168981

 

 

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New South Wales Aboriginal Land CouncilGround Floor 33 Argyle Street Parramatta NSW 2150PO Box 1125 Parramatta NSW 2124Tel: 02 9689 4444 • Fax: 02 9687 1234 • DX 28308 Parramatta 2150

NSWALC’s  position    NSWALC  has  considered  the  Bill  and  has  adopted  an  initial  position  which  outlines:    

• Overall,  NSWALC  strongly  opposes  this  Bill  and  urges  all  political  parties  to  oppose  this  Bill.    • NSWALC  strongly  opposes  any  undermining  of  the  objects  and  purpose  of  the  Aboriginal  Land  Rights  Act.    • NSWALC  does  not  support  legislation  that  extinguishes  land  rights  claims  that  have  been  lodged  legitimately  

in  accordance  with  the  ALRA.  NSWALC  believes  that  these  claims  should  be  determined  in  accordance  with  the  law  as  it  stood  when  the  claims  were  lodged.    

• Given  that  the  existing  exclusions  to  claimable  Crown  land  are  broad  enough  to  exclude  beaches  and  coastal  land  as  defined,   the   resort   to   retrospective   legislation   is  unnecessary  and   inappropriate  and  does  not  uphold   the  rule  of  law  as  well  as  best  practice  principles  of  Crown  land  management.      

• NSWALC  contends  that  this  Bill   is  discriminatory  as  it  protects  existing  interests  of  other  Crown  land  users,  but  not  the  existing  interests  of  Aboriginal  Land  Councils  in  undetermined  claims.    

• NSWALC  is  concerned  regarding  the  Government’s  disregard  for  judicial  process  and  Court  decisions  in  pursuing  such  legislation.    

• Despite   being   extremely   disappointed   and   concerned   by   the   manner   in   which   the   NSW   Government   has  approached   this   issue,   NSWALC   seeks   further   engagement   with   the   NSW   Government   to   develop   a   way  forward.    

 The  attached  document  provides  further  detail  about  the  Bill,  background  to  the  Red  Rock  case,  a  summary  of  key  concerns  and  NSWALC’s  position.        NSWALC’s  response  NSWALC   is   urgently   seeking  meetings  with   the  NSW  Government   to   advise   of   NSWALC’s   serious   concerns   and  opposition   to   the   Bill.   NSWALC   is   also   providing   briefings   to   Parliamentarians   to   seek   support   of   NSWALC's  position.        In  addition,  NSWALC  is  seeking  information  from  the  NSW  Government  regarding  a  list  of  Crown  lands  that  will  be  affected  by  the  new  definition,  and  a  list  of  land  claims  which  will  be  affected  by  the  new  definition.      NSWALC  understands   that   the  Bill   is   likely   to  be  debated  on   the  4  November   2014,   and  will   keep   the  Network  updated  on  the  progress  of  the  Bill.      NSWALC  strongly  encourages  LALCs  to  take  action  to  oppose  the  Bill  by  urgently  contacting  your  Local  Member  of  Parliament  (MP)  and  Members  of  the  Legislative  Council  (MLCs)  to  raise  concerns  about  the  Bill  and  encourage  Members  to  oppose  the  Bill.  Contact  details  for  MPs  and  MLCs  can  be  accessed  on  the  NSW  Parliament  website  at:    http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/90842BBC8F05057ECA256BF1001D6243    A  copy  of  the  Bill  and  Second  Reading  Speech  can  be  accessed  on  the  NSW  Parliament  website  at:    https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/nswbills.nsf/131a07fa4b8a041cca256e610012de17/8228b4fa835c6c52ca257d7800164978?OpenDocument.      Please  contact  NSWALC  on  9689  4444  or  policy@alc.org.au  if  you  would  like  to  discuss  the  Bill,  NSWALC’s  position,  or  contacting  Parliamentarians.