Proposed crown land management changes NSW

[Anolphart]

Im not well versed in political or bureaucratic language so I could be misreading the New Crown Land Legislation and Im sure that better educated people than I could correct me if Im wrong. I cannot see where the new legislation suggests that crown land will be sold off at the discretion of the minister. If anything, it seems to suggest that the changes will be more advantages to the general public. For instance, under the current ruling common land is controlled by local government and/or a body of local landowners. Now this system has been suggested as being open to corruption and the new legislation is intended to prevent this.

One particular area comes to mind where recently the Tibooburra community decided to incur a $10.00/day fee for detecting on the commons which after a backlash they amended to what I understand is now $10.00/month fee.

I can also see that in many cases pastoralists that have been utilising crown land for their stock may want to maintain control over their land at the exclusion of everybody else.

Yes, Im sure that developers will want to get their hands on public land to relieve the housing shortages but how else are we expected to provide land for the ever increasing population? Im not saying that I like it, but when Arthur Phillip settled the land down under, wasnt it ALL crown land then?

I am concerned that access to known gold bearing areas are being slowly restricted to us and am happy to support legitimate claims to prevent that from happening. As I mentioned previously, I am not well versed in interpreting these documents so I would be happy to be corrected and admit my mistake.

The document that I have been reading is gazetted at the Dept of Industry for all to read.

http://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/crown_lands/comprehensive_review_of_nsw_crown_land_management

 

[Anolphart]

OK, I can see where the concern is. Here is a reference about the commons in the Crown Lands Management Review

Commons

"The Commons Management Act 1989 provides for the management of public land set aside for use as a common, for the benefit of enrolled commoners. Originally commons provided additional agricultural or grazing land for local inhabitants, and the Act refers to land being set aside as a common or for pasturage. There are currently approximately 130 commons.

The provisions of the Commons Management Act are similar in many respects to the reserve trust provisions in the Crown Lands Act. The concept of commons as a category of land is out-dated: commons could either be converted to Crown land or sold to existing commoners or other individuals or bodies."

However, it continues to say

"The Commons Management Act already gives the Minister the power to revoke commons and to deal with the land as if it were Crown land, without the payment of compensation. Under this proposal, the Commons Management Act would be repealed."

So the minister apparently already has the power to transfer title but to date appears not to have used it.

I note also that there are some issues that may affect some clubs that are current tenants on crown land where its proposed to increase their rent by up to 1728%