22 December, 2023
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) thanks the Land Rights Network for another successful year, as we continued our work together to support and strengthen our communities across 2023.
The NSWALC Council and Staff thank all Local Aboriginal Land Councils and members for your continued commitment to your communities and we look forward to a positive and productive 2024 together. We wish you a rejuvenating and safe holiday break with your families and loved ones.
NSWALC offices will close on 22 December 2023 and reopen on 8 January 2024.
The NSWALC would like to reflect on some achievements this year:
40th Anniversary of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act
A significant achievement and cause for celebration was the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA).
The ALRA was passed in the NSW Legislative Council on 30 March, 1983 and enacted on 10 June, 1983, and was the result of years of collective work, strategy and lobbying by the Land Rights Warriors.
Commissioned artwork by Monique Rennie marked this special occasion. The artwork titled `Stronger with Country’, representing the diverse lands and waterways. The sun at the centre of the artwork representative of the ways in which our Land Rights Warriors action supports the thriving of our communities.
We celebrated the 40th anniversary with a range of events including regional events across NSW, a Black Parliament at the NSW Parliament House and the highlight of the year, was the Rock for Land Rights Concert at Parramatta Park in November. We thank everyone who came along to celebrate the significant milestone in the history of Land Rights in NSW.
A new Local Aboriginal Land Council joins the Network
Also highly significant in the 40th anniversary year was the addition of a new LALC to the Land Rights Network.
The Wangaaypuwan Local Aboriginal Land Council was constituted by the NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs by order published in the NSW Government Gazette in February, and held its inaugural Members meeting and Board election in June.
We congratulate the Wangaaypuwan LALC Members and Board for their persistence and commitment to Land Rights.
Land Transfers
A healthy 3,463.2 hectares of land were transferred to LALCs between January and October 2023.
It’s important to note that the total hectares returned includes grants determined in previous years, but that have been transferred in the last 12 months. Hectares returned also includes purchases, subdivisions and ALAs.
NSWALC Sponsorships and Grants
NSWALC provided significant grant funding for a range of regional events of statewide significance including Tamworth LALC’s Aboriginal Cultural Showcase, Griffith LALC’s Wiradjuri Survival Day, the 2023 Lloyd McDermott Ella 7’s, Collarenebri Bulldogs Rugby League KO Carnival and the 2023 Elders Olympics, to name a few.
And we were very proud to again sponsor the annual NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival in 2023, hosted by the Newcastle All Blacks.
The NSWALC Community Fund (NCF) supported 14 LALCs with land management or land acquisition work across the 2022-2023 financial year, worth more than $1.7 million. More details on the NCF funding support is in our 2022-2023 Annual Report.
And hundreds of smaller community cultural, sporting, artistic or health events and projects were assisted via our Small Community Grants scheme.
Closing The Gap
NSWALC remained host of the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO) Closing the Gap Secretariat and CAPO Co-Chair.
We expanded our active contribution to the national Coalition of Peaks on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. We also established a series of project teams, hosted by NSWALC on behalf of NSW CAPO, to advance Priority Reform initiatives in the NSW Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.
Aboriginal Community Housing Investment Fund (ACHIF)
Through partnership arrangements under the ACHIF, NSWALC continued to coordinate the contracts for and delivery of $10.5 million worth of repairs, maintenance and improvements to housing for 17 LALCs.
The works program is now over 95 per cent complete.
The Yarpa Indigenous Business and Employment Hub (Yarpa)
Yarpa’s membership base continued to consolidate across 2023. Key memberships continued to grow, with Indigenous Business memberships up 14%, Individual Business memberships up 24% and general memberships increasing by 25%.
Yarpa’s community open day during Reconciliation Week 2023 had over 50 attendees representing First Nations’ businesses, industry and employment. The event highlighted NSWALC’s services and the value we bring to the First Nations Business Sector, and provided a fantastic opportunity for collaboration and networking.
Yarpa also celebrated Indigenous Business Month with their annual Meet the Buyers event. The Meet the Buyers event serves as a platform for collaboration by opening doors for First Nation businesses and provides a space for positive conversations. The connections formed during this event help form the basis for lasting partnerships.