Aboriginal Lands Trust divestment update
Posted: April 30th, 2026
The State Government has commenced drafting the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Bill 2026 (WA) (the Bill), which will update the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972 (WA) (the Act).
The Bill has been informed by public consultations with stakeholders from across the state (held in 2022) and will only impact land within the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) estate which is reserved for the benefit of First Nations people, or held on behalf of First Nations people.
The WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) will be undertaking further targeted stakeholder engagement from April 2026 to provide an update on the proposal.
The proposed amendments to the Act aim to better reflect modern day objectives of the State Government and First Nations people, express that the Act is aware of the requirements of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the rights of Native Title Holders and Claimants, and create more streamlined processes. Find out more and read a summary of the proposed amendments on the DPLH website.