A lease is an authority granted by the department under the Crown Land Management Act 2016, which gives permission to exclusively occupy and use Crown land for a specified purpose and term.
The department issues leases to individuals, companies, non-government organisations, government agencies and community and sporting groups for a number of purposes including, but not limited to:
- marinas and other waterfront businesses and activities
- caravan and tourist parks
- registered clubs, bowling clubs, golf clubs and other sporting clubs
- aged care, child care and disability services,
- restaurants and kiosks
- government agencies and local government
- surf lifesaving clubs, and other sporting clubs and community organisations
- residences
- rural purposes such as grazing, agriculture and irrigation.
Leasing arrangements are structured to recognise the department as the owner and landlord (or lessor) and the applicant as the tenant (or lessee).
Common lease purposes
- Business
- Community
- Rural
- Residential
Leasing of Crown land by competitive process or direct negotiation
When considering a lease application, the department will determine whether a competitive process or direct negotiation with the applicant is appropriate to ensure the process is fair and open.
General leases
General leases can fall under business, community or residential purposes, marinas and other waterfront businesses and activities such as:
- caravan and tourist parks
- registered clubs, bowling clubs, golf clubs and other sporting clubs
- aged care, child care and disability services
- restaurants and kiosks
- government agencies and local government
- surf lifesaving clubs, and other sporting clubs and community organisations
- residences
- rural purposes such as grazing, agriculture and irrigation.
View all accepted purposes for general leases (PDF, 593 KB)
Apply for or manage a general lease
Western lands leases
The Western Division of NSW makes up about 42% of the total area of NSW. The Western Division lies west of a line from the Queensland border at Mungindi to Balranald near the Victorian border. It covers some 32.5 million hectares
Nearly all the land in the Western Division is held under western lands leases. The 6,631 western lands leases in NSW include:
- 4,300 for grazing
- 573 for agriculture
- 1,593 for residence
- 165 for businesses.
These figures are subject to change as leases are purchased and converted to freehold title.
Conditions are attached to each western lands lease to ensure the land is managed sustainably.
That means that land must not be over-grazed and that leaseholders must get approvals to cultivate land and to subdivide or transfer the lease. The minister responsible for Crown land can impose notices on lessees to de-stock areas, refrain from certain activities, or rehabilitate damaged or degraded areas.
Most leases are perpetual (ongoing) and can only be used for a designated purpose. Leaseholders can carry out approved activities on perpetual western lands leases, in addition to the existing activities authorised by the lease purpose, as long as the activity does not become the primary use of the land.