Crown Land Bill enters Parliament
11 May 2017

The NSW Parliament is currently debating the Crown Land Legislation Amendment Bill 2017.

Some of the amendments proposed in the Bill include:

• Clarifying and correcting some provisions of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 and correcting references to that Act in other legislation
• Consolidating the Public Reserves Management Fund Act 1987 (which provides for a Fund for the acquisition, maintenance, improvement or development of public reserves) into the Crown Land Management Act 2016
• Giving Local councils the power to close public roads they are the road authority for, without requiring the Minister for Lands and Forestry's approval
• Simplifying the road closure and sale process in the Roads Act 1993
• Authorising a roads authority under the Roads Act 1993 to direct a person who exclusively benefits from the use of a Crown road to take a specified action to repair or maintain the road

The Bill will not change the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983  and will not affect the ability of Local Aboriginal Land Councils to claim Crown land.

The Crown Land Legislation Amendment Bill 2017 can be accessed at:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3388

Department of Industry - Lands fact sheets on the Bill is available at:
http://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/crown_lands/comprehensive_review_of_nsw_crown_land_management

If Local Aboriginal Land Councils wish to discuss the Bill please call NSWALC's Legal Services Unit on 02 9689 4444.