Aboriginal land claims – Consolidated Service Charter

The Aboriginal Land Claims Consolidated Service Charter outlines the customer service commitments Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) can expect throughout Aboriginal land claim (ALC) processes.

The Consolidated Service Charter aims to help government better partner with Aboriginal people to facilitate Aboriginal land rights and self-determination. It also streamlines processes across government to make them more efficient.

The Consolidated Service Charter is made up of 3 parts:

• principles of engagement
• a service charter
• and operational roles and responsibilities of government agencies and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

The Consolidated Service Charter streamlines the ALC process without adding any complexity or extra steps.

The Consolidated Service Charter was jointly developed by Crown Lands, the Office of the Registrar Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. Feedback from LALCs was important in developing the Consolidated Service Charter, including from the LALC Reference Group whose members are CEOs and board members of 9 LALCs.

The creation of the Consolidated Service Charter was one of the recommendations of the 2022 NSW Audit Office Report: ‘Facilitating and administering Aboriginal land claim processes.’

Read the Aboriginal Land Claims – Consolidated Service Charter (PDF, 7.9 MB).

The Consolidated Service Charter outlines what LALCs should expect from the NSW Government and what may be asked of LALCs from parties engaged in land claim processes. The NSW Government commits to:

• being clear and responsive
• being informative and helpful
• professional standards of behaviour
• meaningful engagement.

These principles underpin how the government should meaningfully engage Aboriginal people in land claim processes, and they seek to ensure that the voices of Aboriginal peoples are at the centre of decision-making. The principles are inter-related and should be considered together throughout all stages of land claim processes. The principles are:

• self-determination and connection to Country
• valuing Aboriginal culture and heritage
• honesty and transparency
• collaboration and partnership
• respect and trust
• accountability.

This section clarifies the statutory and non-statutory roles and responsibilities of entities involved in land claim processes including Crown Lands, the Office of the Registrar, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and Local Aboriginal Land Councils.