Western Australia to give 8 per cent of land to Indigenous Australians in hopes of ‘economic and social transformation’
One state is set to transfer 8 per cent of its land to traditional owners, including 20 million hectares and 284 parcels of land.
WA News
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A reported transfer of eight per cent of Western Australia to traditional owner is set to take place, but not this year, the state government has confirmed.
The WA Government has confirmed it is committed to facilitating the transfer of the vast estate, totalling 20 million hectares, currently under the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT).
The 284 parcels of land, five pastoral leases, and 142 permanent Aboriginal settlements make a collective land total roughly three times the size of Tasmania.
According to the government, this step aims to empower WA First Nations communities by giving them direct control over their land in a departure from the rigid tenure rules that have historically limited land development in these areas.
The ALT, established over 50 years ago when church missions closed, has housed an estimated 12,000 Indigenous people, primarily in public housing.
While bipartisan support has greeted the proposal for transferring control of trust land to traditional owners, there are concerns among senior government figures, as per The Australian, that it could spark opposition similar to that faced by the WA Labor’s Aboriginal heritage laws in 2023.
Premier Roger Cook’s government asserted its commitment to transferring ALT estate control directly to First Nations people and entities, which was announced two years ago.
A WA Government spokesperson told news.com.au: “Land tenure change for remote Aboriginal communities has been a longstanding bipartisan policy across successive governments since the 1990s.
“It will simplify the process for many Aboriginal people in remote communities to do things they want to be doing like start a business, own a home and get a job.
“It is an important step in the economic and social transformation of Aboriginal communities.”
The Government cited positive impacts of land tenure change in places like El Questro, a popular remote tourism area in the state’s Kimberley region, which was returned to traditional owners in 2022, unlocking significant social and economic opportunities.
However the government told news.com.au a total change “will take a very long time”.
“It is an extremely complex process, and we expect that it will take a very long time to do this,” the spokesperson said, adding that “no legislative change will happen this year”.
“Consultation is ongoing, and we are looking forward to working closely with the community.”
In 2014 the Aboriginal Lands Trust returned about 73 hectares of historically important land to the Bidan community, 110km east of Broome.
Federally, Northern Australia Minister Madeleine King has disclosed plans to use the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), a loans scheme, to create opportunities for home ownership in remote Aboriginal communities.
Under the proposed scheme, residents in communities where NAIF invests could acquire a house on a 99-year lease.
Last year saw numerous instances of pushback against perceived increased First Nations control within WA.
A firey campaign dominated state headlines last year as hundreds of farmers succeeded in killing off WA Labor’s Aboriginal heritage laws.
The rules to protect Indigenous culture were axed just weeks after coming into operation.
Western Australia also saw the third largest opposition to the Voice to Parliament in 2023, with 63.2 per cent of its population voting ‘no’.
Originally published as Western Australia to give 8 per cent of land to Indigenous Australians in hopes of ‘economic and social transformation’
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