Northern Land Council
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2023) |
The Northern Land Council (NLC) is a land council representing the Aboriginal peoples of the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia, with its head office in Darwin.
While the NLC was established in 1974, its origins began in the struggle of
History
The Commonwealth Government of
In response to the report of the Royal Commission a Land Rights Bill was drafted, but the
This Act established the basis upon which Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could, for the first time, claim rights to land based on traditional occupation. In effect it allowed title to be transferred of most of the Aboriginal reserve lands and the opportunity to claim other land not owned, leased or being used by someone else.[citation needed]
The Northern Land Council was established in 1974.[1]
Kathy Mills was the first woman to be elected to the Northern Land Council.[2]
Function
The most important responsibility of the councils is to consult
Many Aboriginal people in the Northern Land Council's area live in the major towns. As of 2012[update] there were about 200 communities scattered over Aboriginal land in the NLC's area, ranging in size from small family groups on outstations to settlements of up to 3,000 people.[3]
Governance
The Northern Land Council is a representative body with statutory authority under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. It also has responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993.[4]
It is one of four in the Northern Territory. and the largest; the others are:[4]
- the Central Land Council (CLC) covering the southern half
- the Tiwi Land Council covering the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin
- the Anindilyakwa Land Council covering Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Full Council is the major decision-making body, as of 2021[update] consisting of 78 elected members and five co-opted women, making 83 members in total. There is also an Executive Council and Regional Councils.[5]
The NLC’s jurisdiction covers seven regions: Darwin/ Daly/ Wagait; West Arnhem; East Arnhem; Katherine; Victoria River District (VRD); Ngukurr; and Borroloola/ Barkly.[5]
Offices
The head office is located in Darwin.[6]
The NLC's Top End zone is divided into seven regions with regional offices. The head office and Royalties Office are in
Regional offices representing the seven districts are in:[6]
- Katherine
- Jabiru (West Arnhem)
- Nhulunbuy (East Arnhem)
- Tennant Creek
- Ngukurr
- Borroloola (Barkly/Borroloola)
- Timber Creek (Victoria River district)
People
- Current
As of October 2022[update]:
- NLC Chair is Samuel Bush-Blanasi, who has served seven terms on the council, three of those as chairman. He graduated from Kormilda College in Darwin, and is a talented artist. He was a co-founder of the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists and of Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association.[7]
- Joe Martin-Jard was appointed acting CEO on 16 July 2021, and has been CEO since 22 December 2021. He was formerly CEO of the Central Land Council, and before that had worked for the federal government as well as in the private sector.[8]
- Past
- John Bugy Bugy Christophersen (c.1951–2021), who represented the Kakadu area within the West Arnhem region[5] and was previously a longtime activist for Indigenous rights, died in April 2021, aged 69. He had been an organiser of the convoy that went to Sydney to join the 40,000-strong protest at the 1988 Bicentenary of Australia, and became the vice-president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples in 1990. Offices closed as a mark of respect at his passing.[11] He was also the biological father of athlete and politician Nova Peris, although she had no contact with him between the ages of 2 and 16.[12]
- OAM (c.1935 – 24 April 2022) was the first woman to be elected to the Northern Land Council.[2]
Land Rights News
Land Rights News is the longest-running Aboriginal newspaper.[13]
In April 1976, the Central Land Council published the first edition of
In September 1985 the two land councils pooled their resources to start producing Land Rights News: One Mob, One Voice, One Land (LRN).
In 2002, Aboriginal journalist Todd Condie left the
From 2011[16][17] and as of October 2022[update], Land Rights News is published three times a year in two editions: "Central Australia"[13] and "Northern Edition",[18] and remains the longest-running Aboriginal newspaper. It is also the only printed newspaper published in Central Australia.[13]
References
- ^ "Our history". Northern Land Council. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Aboriginal elder Kathy Mills National Reconciliation Week". Engaging Women. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "About the Northern Land Council". Northern Land Council. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.
- ^
- ^ a b c "Our Council". Northern Land Council. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Contact". Northern Land Council. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "NLC Chair". Northern Land Council. 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "NLC Chief Executive Officer". Northern Land Council. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "NT deputy Scrymgour makes history". The Age. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "NLC Chief Executive Officer". Northern Land Council. 13 March 2018. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Masters, Emma (21 April 2021). "Former Northern Land Council leader remembered as lifelong Indigenous rights activist". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ Hersh, Philip (22 September 2000). "Across generations". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Land Rights News". Central Land Council. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^
- ^ "UN Media Peace Awards". Tribune. No. 2531. New South Wales. 7 September 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 3 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ISSN 1325-0140
- ISSN 1325-0140
- ^ "All documents". Northern Land Council. 1 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
External links