Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976

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In Australian history, the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act established the basis upon which Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could claim rights to land based on traditional occupation. The act, the first of the Aboriginal Land Rights Acts, was signed by the Governor-General of Australia 16 December 1976. It was the first Australian law which allowed a claim of title if claimants could provide evidence of their traditional association with land.

There are four land councils established under the Act, they are the:

Central Land Council is in the southern half of the Northern Territory
Northern Land Council covering the Top End
Tiwi Land Council covering Bathurst and Melville Islands north of Darwin
Anindilyakawa Land Council covering Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

In August 2006, the Federal Government amended the Act. The Land Right Legislation Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006 added several clauses which intend to promote economic development in remote townships. Amongst these, low interest loans were subsidised to promote private home ownership. The Amendment ended the monopoly of the Land Councils on owning land in Indigenous townships. The Amendment also prescribed for the 'fast-tracking' of mining negotiations between corporations and Indigenous communities. It is intended that royalty settlements will be reached sooner.