Updates to How Crown Land Is Managed for Land Managers, Leaseholders and Native Title Holders

Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026

1st House

2nd House

Law

This bill was sponsored by Daniel Mookhey (ALP)

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

the rules for managing publicly-owned Crown land (parks, reserves, and other public land) are overhauled following a statutory review — consolidating management frameworks, clarifying definitions, and updating governance requirements
Crown land managers (typically local councils or community groups) can lease, sell, or grant interests in Crown land, make minor lease changes, and must prepare exit plans and submit annual reports
Crown land dedicated or reserved for specific purposes automatically transfers to a native title body if the land is transferred under an indigenous land use agreement in which the Minister is a party
the Minister can vest Crown land directly in native title bodies and can resume (take back) Crown land from councils or agencies that breach vesting conditions — with no compensation
owners of land adjacent to Crown land must comply with directions to prevent their activities from contaminating or damaging the Crown land — authorised officers can enter such land and recover costs for non-compliance
the Minister can issue improvement notices to holders of Crown land leases who breach their terms, and recover costs from those who fail to comply

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