Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2008] NSWLEC 108

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2008] NSWLEC 108

APPLICANT Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council PARTIES : RESPONDENT Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act

FILE NUMBER(S) : 30780 of 2006

CORAM: Pain J - Behrendt AC

Aboriginal :- land claim - claimable Crown lands - whether lawful use by local council because takes steps to obtain claimed land - whether in taking steps to sell claimed land to local council lawful occupation by Department of Lands KEY ISSUES: Aboriginal :- land claim - claimable Crown lands - whether Minister formed an opinion that the land was needed or likely to be needed as residential land - whether Minister can delegate the formation of an opinion - opinion required to exist when the claim was made - appeal upheld - land claimable Crown lands

Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 Aboriginal Land Rights (Amendment) Act 1986 Crown Lands Act 1989 s 11, s 32, s 33 LEGISLATION CITED: Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913 Crown Lands (Continued Tenures) Act 1989 Interpretation Act 1987 s 33 Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 s 39

Buttsworth v Director-General of the Department of Land and Water Conservation [2003] NSWLEC 169 Carltona Ltd v Commissioners of Works and Others [1943] 2 All ER 560 Codlea Pty Ltd v Byron Shire Council [1999] NSWCA 399 Corporation of the City of Enfield v Development Assessment Commission (2000) 199 CLR 135 Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2006) 149 LGERA 162 Daruk Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (1993) 30 NSWLR 140 Daruk Local Aboriginal Land Council v the Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [No 2] (1995) 89 LGERA 194 Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (1997) 41 NSWLR 459 Goldberg v Waverley Council [2007] NSWLEC 259 La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (1991) 74 LGRA 176 Leon Fink Holdings Pty Ltd v Australian Film Commission (1979) 141 CLR 672 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council (1998) 43 NSWLR 249 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council [No 2] (2001) 50 NSWLR 665 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council [No 2] (1997) 42 NSWLR 641 CASES CITED: Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v NSW Aboriginal Land Council (1993) 31 NSWLR 106 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Natural Resources v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (1987) 9 NSWLR 154 Network Ten Pty Ltd v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 273 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council & Nambucca Local Aboriginal Land Council v the Minister for Land and Water Conservation [1997] NSWLEC 176 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (on behalf of Dubbo Ga Local Aboriginal Land Council) v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [1997] NSWLEC 157 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (The Department of Education Claim) (1992) 76 LGRA 192 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands (Consolidation) Act and the Western Lands Act (1988) 14 NSWLR 685 North Sydney Municipal Council v P D Mayoh Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 740 NSW Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2007] NSWCA 281 NSW Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2008] NSWLEC 13 Re Patterson, ex parte Taylor (2001) 207 CLR 391 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355 R v Connell; ex parte Hetton Bellbird Collieries Ltd [No 2] (1944) 69 CLR 407 Trust Company Limited v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2007] NSWCA 255 Wanaruah Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2001) 113 LGERA 163