The most important responsibilities of the NLC are to consult with traditional landowners and other Aborigines with an interest in the land.

This is to make sure the landowners as a group give their informed consent before the Land Council or a Land Trust enters into any agreement, or takes any action affecting their land.

It also ensures that affected Aboriginal communities and groups have the chance to express their views and that land use agreements entered into are reasonable. These principles are fundamental to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

Land Councils & The Top End

Click on the links provided below to find out more;

Land & Sea Rights

Land and sea are the cornerstones of Aboriginal spirituality, culture and law.

Click on the links provided below to find out more on Land & Sea Rights

Community Living Areas

Visiting Aboriginal Land

Thousands of people every year visit Aboriginal land in the Top End of the Northern Territory, for a holiday, to visit family and friends, or to work.

For tourists, the attractions are the opportunity to see spectacular scenery, experience Indigenous culture such as designated rock art sites, enjoy the remote environment or take part in a particular activity, such as a safari hunt.

If you want to travel through Aboriginal land, it is important to plan your trip well in advance to avoid disappointment. Different permits and different conditions apply.

Click on the links provided below to find out more;

Caring For Country

For more than 60,000 years, the Australian landscape has been under Aboriginal management.

Aboriginal people have a special relationship to land that is different to the majority of non-Aboriginals. It is not a commodity to be bought and sold.

This relationship has survived intact despite the destructive impact of European settlement, which began in earnest in northern Australia 100 years ago.

Caring for Country plays a key role in land and sea management - including fire management and feral weed and animal control - across the Top End, and has been active in preserving traditional knowledge for future generations of Aboriginal people.

Northern Land Council