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The State Government has commenced drafting of the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972 Amendment Bill and Regulations, to remove barriers to divestment of Aboriginal Lands Trust land.

The new legislation and regulations aim to transition Aboriginal land directly to Aboriginal people and organisations and align the Act's objectives with the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993.

The Bill will additionally allow for the divestment of Part III reserved lands to Aboriginal entities, enabling these entities to issue access permits for divested land.

The proposed amendments will apply only to land within the ALT estate, the majority of which is subject to determined or claimed Native Title.

The amendments to the Bill incorporate feedback from stakeholder consultations held in 2022 and 2023.

Upcoming consultations

Targeted consultation will occur within a specified timeframe to be advised ahead of finalising the legislation.

The Department will undertake additional stakeholder engagement from April 2026 to provide an update and overview of the proposed legislative amendments. If you would like to be involved email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

ALT estate facts

The amendments to the AAPA Act will only impact land within the ALT estate which is land currently owned or managed, by the Aboriginal Lands Trust and the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority on behalf of Aboriginal people.

  • The ALT estate was formed by consolidating decades of government-controlled land on behalf of the Aboriginal people, under the administration of a single administrative body.

  • The ALT estate consists of 285 properties covering around 21.9 million hectares. 

  • Both the ALT and the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority hold parcels of land in freehold, leasehold, Part III reserves under the Act or a managed reserve under the Land Administration Act 1997, all held for the benefit of Aboriginal people.

  • An estimated 12,000 people live within the ALT estate in 143 permanent Aboriginal communities, ranging from larger population centres comparable to regional towns, to smaller family settlements. 

  • Almost all the ALT estate is over land subject to a positive determination of native title or a registered native title claim.