EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Act 2007
Item 2 of the table in subsection 2 (1) of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Act 2007 (the Act) provides that Schedule 1 to the Act commences on a day to be fixed by Proclamation. However, if any of the provisions do not commence within six months of the date the Act receives the Royal Assent, then those provisions commence on the first day after the end of that six month period. The Act received the Royal Assent on 28 June 2007.
The purpose of the Proclamation is to fix 1 July 2007 as the day on which Schedule 1 to the Act commences.
Schedule 1 contains the substantive provisions of the Act, which establishes an office of Executive Director of Township Leasing to enter into and administer township leases on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory.
The Proclamation is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. Item 42 of the table in subsection 44 (2) of this Act provides that Proclamations that provide solely for the commencement of Acts or of provisions of Acts are not subject to disallowance.
There were extensive consultations in relation to the reforms to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 made by the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Act 2006 and by the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Act 2007 which would commence as a result of the proposed Proclamation. No further consultation in relation to the Proclamation was considered necessary.