Land councils, also known as Aboriginal land councils, or land and sea councils, are Australian community organisations, generally organised by region, that are commonly formed to represent the Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people) who occupied their particular region before the arrival of European settlers.
Each state has a different system relating to Aboriginal-owned land, with the representative bodies given varying names.
[2] While it applied only to the Northern Territory, this law provided the basis on which Aboriginal peoples could claim land rights based on traditional occupation, and it set a precedent which was followed by the other states.
[2] Land councils are not the same as Registered Native Title Body Corporates (RNTBCs), which are funded by the federal government.
Native title in Australia includes rights and interests that relate to land and waters held by Indigenous people under traditional laws and customs, recognised by the common law in accordance with the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth).
[4] The states' land councils (or equivalents) also have responsibilities under the [federal] Native Title Act.
[2] Under the Act, traditional owners hold decision-making powers over the use of Aboriginal land.
The South Australian Government provides land rights administration funding to the ALT and works with the Trust on a range of economic, community development and landcare projects across the state.
[3] In Victoria, various pieces of legislation between 1970 and 1991 transferred specific land to Aboriginal communities.