Federation stands with the NSW Aboriginal Lands Council and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) in opposing an Amendment Bill to NSW legislation that places Aboriginal land rights in NSW under attack.
The Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026 will hollow out Aboriginal peoples’ rights under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 — one of the most significant land restitution frameworks in Australia. Sign this petition in opposition to the Crown Land Management Amendment Bill.
If passed, the changes will overturn more than 40 years of hard work by the Aboriginal Land Rights Network to return land to Aboriginal peoples.
NSW Aboriginal Lands Council Chair Raymond Kelly and the AECG President Raymond Ingrey met with Federation President Henry Rajendra, General Secretary Maxine Sharkey and Aboriginal Education Officer Russell Honnery last week and explained the changes will:
- override a High Court decision that reconfirmed the long-settled law that the ‘lawful use’ of Crown land in relation to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act must include the land being physically used and that simply holding a lease over land does not mean a land claim can be refused
- give the NSW Government broad powers to retrospectively validate unlawful leases issued by the Minister, which would defeat Aboriginal land claims.
Learn more by reading this NSW Aboriginal Land Council fact sheet.
Federation calls on the Government to withdraw the Bill in its entirety or amend the Bill to remove provisions that undermine established legal protections and Aboriginal land rights.
Sign the petition
Join us in opposing the legislative amendment.
If 20,000 signatures are secured, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council’s petition in opposition to the Crown Land Management Amendment Bill will be tabled for debate in the NSW Parliament’s lower house.
Every signature matters — please sign the petition today.