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 of Australia. They mainly work on issues about land. The CLC is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory. Its main office is in Alice Springs.

How the Central Land Council Started

The Central Land Council began because Aboriginal people fought for fair pay and their land rights. A famous event was the strike by the Gurindji people at Wave Hill in 1966. They walked off their jobs to protest for their land.

In 1973, the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, started a special inquiry called the Aboriginal Land Rights Commission. This group looked into how Aboriginal people could get rights to their traditional lands in the Northern Territory. The inquiry suggested that groups like the Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council should be created. These groups would help share the views of Aboriginal people.

Later, in 1976, the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA) became law. This important law meant that Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could, for the first time, claim rights to land based on their traditional connections. It allowed them to get ownership of most of their traditional lands. The ALRA also gave the land councils official powers and duties.

What the Central Land Council Does

The Central Land Council is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory. The Northern Land Council is the biggest, covering the northern part of the Territory. The CLC is the next largest. There are also the Tiwi Land Council (for Bathurst and Melville Islands) and the Anindilyakwa Land Council (for Groote Eylandt). These councils follow the rules of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. They also help with native title matters.

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

Main Goals of the CLC

The Central Land Council works to:

• Help traditional owners make claims for their native title and solve disagreements.
• Talk with landowners about mining, jobs, new projects, 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 who want to visit Aboriginal land.

Land Rights News Newspaper

In 1976, the Central Land Council started publishing a newspaper called Central Australian Land Rights News. The Northern Land Council also started their own newspaper. These newspapers aimed to give Aboriginal people information about land rights. They also wanted to correct wrong information and share in-depth stories about native title. The newspapers helped challenge stereotypes and encouraged readers to take action.

In 1985, the two land councils joined forces to create Land Rights News: One Mob, One Voice, One Land.

This newspaper has won awards for its important work. In 1988, it received a special award from the United Nations Association of Australia. The judges praised it for keeping the Aboriginal community informed and for trying to bridge the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. It also won an award from the Australian Human Rights Commission in the same year.

Today, Land Rights News is still published three times a year in two different editions. It is the longest-running Aboriginal newspaper and the only printed newspaper published in Central Australia.

CLC Office Locations

The Central Land Council has offices in several locations, helping people across the region. These include:

• Kalkaringi
• Lajamanu
• Tennant Creek
• Alparra
• Yuendumu
• Ti Tree
• Atitjere
• Papunya
• Alice Springs (Head Office)
• Mutitjulu

Communities and Councils

• Arrernte Council