Central Land Council facts for kids

The Central Land Council (CLC) is a special group that helps Aboriginal people in the southern part of the Northern Territory in Australia. They mainly work on issues related to land. The CLC is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory. Its main office is in Alice Springs.

The CLC's Story: How It Began

Fighting for Fair Rights

The Central Land Council started because Aboriginal people fought for fair wages and their land rights. A big event was the strike and walk off by the Gurindji people in 1966. This happened at a cattle station called Wave Hill.

New Laws for Land Rights

In 1973, the Australian government, led by Gough Whitlam, set up a special group. This group, called the Aboriginal Land Rights Commission, looked into how Aboriginal people could get rights to their land in the Northern Territory.

A judge named Justice Woodward suggested that a Central Land Council and a Northern Land Council should be created. These councils would share the views of Aboriginal people.

The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA) became law on December 16, 1976. It started working on Australia Day, January 26, 1977. This law was very important. It allowed Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory to claim rights to land based on their traditional connections. It also gave land councils special powers and duties.

What the CLC Does

Understanding Land Councils

The Central Land Council is one of four Land Councils in the Northern Territory. The Northern Land Council covers the northern part of the Territory. The Tiwi Land Council looks after Bathurst and Melville Islands. The Anindilyakwa Land Council covers Groote Eylandt.

These land councils follow the rules of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. They also help with responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993.

The CLC's Area

The Central Land Council's region is huge. It covers about 771,747 square kilometres. This area has many remote and rugged places. About 18,000 Aboriginal people live here. They belong to 15 different Aboriginal language groups. The region is divided into nine areas based on these language groups.

CLC's Main Goals

The Central Land Council works to:

• Help traditional owners make claims for native title and solve disagreements.
• Talk with landowners about mining, jobs, and other plans for their land.
• Protect Aboriginal culture and sacred sites.
• Support economic projects on Aboriginal land.
• Help communities grow and get better services.
• Manage the permit system for people visiting Aboriginal land.

Land Rights News: A Voice for Aboriginal People

In April 1976, the CLC started publishing a newspaper called Central Australian Land Rights News. The Northern Land Council also launched its own paper, Land Rights News: A Newsletter for Aboriginals and Their Friends, in July 1976.

These newspapers aimed to give Aboriginal people information about land rights. They also wanted to correct wrong information and challenge stereotypes in other newspapers. They encouraged readers to take action.

In September 1985, the two land councils joined forces. They started producing Land Rights News: One Mob, One Voice, One Land (LRN).

The newspaper won awards for its important work. In 1988, it received a special award from the UNAA Media Peace Awards. The judges said it helped connect Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. It also won a Print Newspaper Award from the Australian Human Rights Commission in the same year.

As of August 2025, Land Rights News is still published three times a year. It has two editions: "Central Australia" and "Northern Edition". It is the longest-running Aboriginal newspaper and the only printed newspaper published in Central Australia.

CLC Office Locations

As of 2022, the CLC has offices in these places:

Ranger Groups

The Central Land Council helps manage these ranger groups:

Communities and Councils

• Arrernte Council