Aboriginal land councils in the Northern Territory facts for kids

Aboriginal land councils in the Northern Territory are special groups that represent Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory of Australia. They are known as land councils and help manage and protect Aboriginal lands. These councils cover four main areas where Aboriginal people have self-governance.

Who are the Land Councils?

There are four main land councils in the Northern Territory:

• The Anindilyakawa Land Council looks after Groote Eylandt, which is an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
• The Central Land Council covers a very large area in the southern half of the Northern Territory. This area is about 771,747 square kilometres, which is bigger than many countries! It includes remote and rugged places. About 18,000 Aboriginal people live here, speaking 15 different Aboriginal languages.
• The Northern Land Council covers the northern part of the Northern Territory, often called the Top End.
• The Tiwi Land Council looks after Bathurst and Melville Islands. These islands are located north of Darwin.

How Land Councils Began

The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 was a very important law. It was the first time Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could officially claim rights to their traditional lands. This law allowed ownership of most Aboriginal reserve lands to be given back to Aboriginal people. It also gave them the chance to claim other lands that were not already owned or used by someone else.

Land councils are official bodies created by this law. This means they have special legal powers and responsibilities. They also have duties under other laws, like the Native Title Act 1993 and the Pastoral Land Act 1992. These laws help land councils work with the government and others on land use and ownership.

See also

• Bagot Community
• Local government areas of the Northern Territory