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

Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026

13 Oct 2026: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

Legislative Council

Legislative Assembly

Assent

Share this bill

Email Facebook X Bluesky

Topics

crown land environmental protection Indigenous affairs Indigenous land rights land leases land management land use native title

Introduced by: The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

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 Lands Minister is a party
the Lands 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 Lands Minister can issue improvement notices to holders of Crown land leases who breach their terms, and recover costs from those who fail to comply

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Steph Cooke NAT

“On behalf of the Opposition, I confirm at the outset that the Coalition supports the Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026. Crown land plays a quiet but important role across New South Wales. It includes land used for local parks, community facilities, environmental protection, infrastructure and other public purposes.”

Official source →

Jenny Leong GRN

“On behalf of The Greens, I contribute to debate on the Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026. I indicate from the outset that The Greens strongly oppose the bill and absolutely disagree that it is a miscellaneous or technical response to a statutory review.”

Official source →

Felicity Wilson LIB

“I contribute to debate on the Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026. I begin by acknowledging the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, local Aboriginal land councils and the broader Aboriginal land rights network, which has engaged extensively with the legislation.”

Official source →

Alex Greenwich IND

“The Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026 contains mostly miscellaneous and routine changes to Crown lands legislation following the statutory review.”

Official source →

Stephen Kamper ALP

“I extend my appreciation to members who contributed to debate on the Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026. I particularly acknowledge the member for Cootamundra, the shadow Minister for Crown Lands.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026

The Hon. MARK BUTTIGIEG — 2026-03-17

Importantly, the bill also refines the objects of the Crown land Act to better reflect the various access, use and management arrangements for Crown land that are available to Aboriginal people. For the first time, the objects will acknowledge how these arrangements can help to achieve outcomes under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 and the Native Title Act 1993, a linkage I am proud to highlight. In addition, the bill introduces a requirement to consider ecologically sustainable development in the use and management of Crown land. This ensures the Crown land Act aligns with other key legislation, such as the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991. These changes clarify and confirm that Aboriginal involvement with Crown land, and sustainability and environmental responsibility, are key considerations in deciding how to manage Crown land.