Land and Leaders

5 May, 2015

Land and Leadership go hand- in-hand within the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Network and this year LALC members will have the opportunity to vote in a new Council at the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) elections on October 31st 2015.

It’s an important election where you can either nominate to become a councillor or vote for the person who you believe will best represent you and your region at a State level.

NSWALC is now operating on a strong foundation and it needs more young people to get involved and continue to build on the legacy of Land Rights.

Keep an eye on our newsletters and social media sites over the coming months as we keep you informed of key nomination dates and our election campaigns.

If you are new to the Land Rights network or thinking of joining a LALC, a new book titled ‘What Do We Want?’ A political history of Land Rights in NSW goes on sale from 1 May 2015. The author Heidi Norman, a Senior Lecturer at University of Technology Sydney says it’s the comprehensive account of Land Rights in the State.

The book covers the different eras of Land Rights up until around 2007. She also writes about how the Greiner Government controversially abolished the Regional Council reducing the three tiered structure of the network to two – the LALCs and NSWALC. All the land and assets belonging to the Regional Council where given to NSWALC.

What isn’t covered, because it’s a recent event, is how NSWALC took the decision to start returning properties back to the LALCs.

Late last month, mob in the North West region of NSW celebrated the return of four rural properties to North West Land Corporation at Calooma station near Bourke.

The properties will benefit 17 Local Aboriginal Land Councils and empower them to pursue economic opportunities, with land set aside for cultural activities and social programs.

In other news, Community Development Grants of up to $50,000 are now available to eligible Local Aboriginal Land Councils for the acquisition of land and land management activities.

The grants are a result of a community development fund created by NSWALC to ensure LALCs can share in the wealth of land councils who enjoy a stronger economic base.

Sign up to our e-newsletter at ourmob.org.au, or email subscribe@alc.org.au for your chance to win a signed copy of Troy Cassar -Daley’s new album “Freedom Ride”