27 January, 2026

Today, the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) submitted the 60,000th Aboriginal Land Claim to the NSW Government. 

The 60,000th land claim is a reclaim which is inclusive of 90 outstanding claims that were lodged in the year 2000 and earlier, including claims dating back to 1993. 

NSWALC Chairperson, Cr Ray Kelly, said the 60,000th claim is a reminder that NSWALC will not let historic claims quietly disappear. 

“Since the commencement of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) (ALRA), Aboriginal Land Claims have continued to accumulate faster than they are resolved. While Aboriginal people in NSW have done what the law requires by lodging claims, the State has not met its reciprocal obligation to determine them in a timely way,” said Cr Kelly. 

“These claims remain undetermined not because of inaction by Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs), but because of the ongoing systemic failure that sits within the Aboriginal land rights system itself.” 

“Every unresolved claim represents a promise unfulfilled under the ALRA. Our Elders are dying across the State with these claims unresolved. It is time for action, and we need it now.” 

Despite the increased land claim activity by NSWALC, the amount of land returned to Aboriginal ownership continues to shrink. NSWALC late last year stated more than 44,000 Aboriginal Land Claims remain outstanding across New South Wales. 

“In the 2025–26 financial year, 672 Aboriginal Land Claims were lodged which covered more than 13,000 land parcels. Only 274 hectares of land were returned during this period. This is evident enough of a significant decline compared to previous years,” said Cr Kelly. 

According to NSWALC, Nowra LALC and Eden LALC have been the most impacted by these unresolved claims, together accounting for 42 per cent of claims lodged before the year 2000. Significant clusters of unresolved claims also exist across North West NSW, including Brewarrina, Walgett and Moree. 

“The 60,000th Aboriginal land Claim that we have submitted today is not symbolic… it is corrective,” said Cr Kelly. 

“Our strategy deliberately targets claims lodged since the enactment of the ALRA through to the end of the year 2000. We are ensuring that no historic claims are abandoned and that the State is fully aware of the scale of its unresolved obligations.” 

“The 60,000th Aboriginal Land Claim is about accountability, justice, and finally delivering on a promise made more than 40 years ago.” 

NSWALC can confirm an average processing time of between 15 to 20 years per claim which demonstrates these delays are structural, not the result of Aboriginal inaction. 

“NSWALC will continue to advocate at both the State and Federal levels to achieve a renewed, whole-of-government commitment to resolving outstanding claims”. 

“If land rights are to operate as Parliament intended and by the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act, structural reform is unavoidable. Determination teams must be properly resourced, include strong Aboriginal expertise, and be supported by better collaboration, accountability and clear timeframes that prevent ongoing delay.” 

“Our people have waited decades – and continue to wait – for their land to be returned. We can no longer allow prolonged administrative inertia to undermine our land rights.” 

“The NSW land rights system must be improved as a matter of urgency. We will tirelessly advocate for a system that operates efficiently and responds to our claims with urgency.” 

For more information on NSWALC, please visit https://alc.org.au/ 

NSWALC is the State’s peak representative body in Aboriginal Affairs and aims to protect the interests and further the aspirations of the 121 NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils and the broader Aboriginal community. It was established in the 1970s to assist in the fight for land rights and was formally constituted as a statutory corporation under the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act in 1983. NSWALC is the largest member-based Aboriginal organisation in NSW.