Four Northern Territory (NT) Land Councils are established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (ALRA) to represent the interests of Aboriginal people within their respective regions and assist them with the management of Aboriginal land. The four NT Land Councils are corporate Commonwealth entities and must comply with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule).

This performance audit is part of a series of audits of the governance of the NT Land Councils. It was conducted to provide independent assurance to Parliament that the Land Councils’ governance arrangements are effective in meeting legislative obligations under the ALRA, the NTA and the PGPA Act.

Land Councils play an important role in securing rights and realising benefits for Aboriginal constituents. Many external stakeholders, including government entities, non-government organisations, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses, rely on the efficient and effective operation of the Land Councils.

Key findings:

• The Central Land Council’s governance arrangements under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, Native Title Act 1993 and Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 are largely effective.
• Land Council decision-making authority is exercised under multiple pieces of legislation. The delegation of functions and powers under this legislative framework is complex. While the CLC has an instrument of delegation for functions and powers under the ALRA, there is a lack of specificity and inappropriate reference to sub-delegation.