NSW land returned to traditional owners

By PETER ROWE

The Worimi Aboriginal Land Council will take ownership of a 10.69 hectare plot of land at Lemon Tree Passage in NSW.

The site is predominately bushland on the corner of Oyster Farm Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road near picturesque Tilligerry Creek.

“For more than 40 years the Aboriginal Land Rights Act has granted the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils the right to lodge land claims on Crown land, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, David Harris said.

“The granting of this land to the Worimi Aboriginal Land Council will help enable the support of economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes for this community, which are key outcomes for closing the gap.”

The land will be returned as freehold land to Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, who will work with the local Aboriginal community and Port Stephens Council to determine future use of the site.

Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, the Act recognises the impact of past government decisions which resulted in the amount of land set aside for Aboriginal people progressively reduced without compensation.

The Act aims to provide a system by which some unused Crown land could be returned to Aboriginal ownership provided it is not being used, occupied, or likely to be needed for an essential public purpose.