In 1996 the New South Wales Parliament passed the National Parks and Wildlife Amendment (Aboriginal Ownership) Bill. This was concerned with the Aboriginal ownership provisions under Part 4A of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW).
The then Minister for the Environment identified the aims of the Bill:
'… to protect and preserve the rights and interests of Aboriginal people with cultural, historical and traditional association with national parks, through the negotiation of lease back arrangements which enable title to land on which national parks are situated to be transferred to Aboriginal owners, subject to the lease of the area to the relevant State authority on payment of rent to the Aboriginal owners and the encouragement of joint management between identified and acknowledged representatives of Aboriginal people and the relevant State agency.' |