The Amendment Bill and Regulations will enable this land to transition directly to Aboriginal people and organisations, supporting improved social, cultural and economic outcomes for Aboriginal people.
The ALT estate comprises 285 properties covering around 21.9 million hectares, or 8.7 per cent of Western Australia’s landmass. The proposed amendments will apply only to land within the ALT estate, the majority of which is determined or claimed as native title land.
Proposed amendments include aligning the objectives of the Act with the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993.
In addition, the divestment focussed amendments look to streamline administration, update terminology, strengthen enforcement and clarify the ALT’s consultation obligations.
The Bill will also enable the divestment of Part III reserved lands to Aboriginal entities and empower those entities to grant access permits for divested land consistent with State’s Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy, and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The amendments are being informed by extensive community engagement, including more than 25 targeted consultation sessions held across the state in 2022, and ongoing feedback from Aboriginal stakeholders through the ALT divestment program since 2017.
Further stakeholder engagement will commence in the coming weeks.
For more information and updates on upcoming consultation, visit www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/aboriginal-affairs-planning-authority-act-1972.
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