NSW Government returns three land parcels to Narromine Local Aboriginal Land Council

The land parcels will be returned to the Narromine Aboriginal community as part of a state government process to approve Aboriginal land claims to support social, cultural and economic benefits for Aboriginal communities.

Three blocks of land with a combined size of 6.47 hectares will be returned to the Narromine Local Aboriginal Land Council.

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George Clarke, deputy chair, said the location of the land - whether it was grazing, near the river or in reserves - would determine what the land could be used for but he was certain the community could "do a lot of things with it".

"It's been going on for a long time and, especially from our elders past - even present today - [we] have been fighting to get land back," Mr Clarke told the Daily Liberal.

Once the land return is finalised, the council will take the matter to the elders in the community to decide the best way forward.

"We could probably use it for gatherings like get together with our elders and our young children, things like that," Mr Clarke said.

"It's for the Narromine community, so a lot of people are going to benefit from it - that's how we look at it."

When asked if it was a positive step, Mr Clarke said "for sure" and that his community "appreciate getting [the land back]".

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"That's a start and we'll go from there," he said.

When asked if there was more land he hoped would be returned, he said there was, especially land that was rarely used.

According to Mr Clarke, the government asked the Aboriginal land council to list the top 20 pieces of land they would like returned, and the parcels were chosen from the list.

"It's good to get some land back, especially for our elders that have been trying for years," he said.

"And the thing that I look at it myself is, the whole Narromine community is going to benefit from it."

The celebration of NAIDOC Week this week follows last month's 40th anniversary of the commencement of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.

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Since June 10, 1983, a total of 4,396 land claims have been granted or part-granted by Crown Lands and 168,438 hectares of land has been returned to Aboriginal land councils.

So far in 2022/23, Crown Lands has assessed 596 land claims with 403 granted in whole or in part and 3,932 hectares of land returned to 56 different Aboriginal land councils.

This includes two blocks of land covering 209.2 hectares at Miandetta which will be returned to Nyngan Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils have a right to lodge land claims under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 which are assessed to statutory criteria to determine if the land is lawfully used or occupied or needed for an essential public purpose.

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"If the land is not occupied or needed the claim can be granted, which supports the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal communities," Mr Harris said.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said: "These land claims have delivered fantastic results to local communities across the state, as land is not just a physical asset but also deeply connected to cultural identity and spiritual beliefs.

"Crown Lands is working closely with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to deliver tangible outcomes for Aboriginal communities and peoples."

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