Central Land Council

The Land is Always Alive

Land Management

In line with the recommendations of Dr H.C. 'Nugget' Coombs review of the CLC, a land management advisory service for traditional landowners was established in 1983. The transfer of control over former reserves to Aboriginal people and the success of land claims was generating a growing demand for advice and assistance on land use issues.

Establishing 'outstations' or 'homelands' – small family-based communities with only very basic services – was a major priority. Government departments still required traditional landowners to 'prove their commitment' by surviving for months or years without services before they would allow basic facilities to be provided, and the CLC assisted communities to cut through the red tape to reduce these 'probation periods'. There are now more than 200 outstations in the CLC region.

At the same time more established communities were keen to develop commercial land uses: small tourist developments, cattle projects, and feral animal harvesting programs. The land management service – which at first consisted of just two research officers – set out to assist communities to assess development options for their land. Ten years later the CLC's land management service has been expanded to include specialists in land resource assessment, environmental management, business development and the pastoral industry, as well as community development.