Working with the community

The Department works closely with a range of groups, including local councils, primary producers, community organisations, Catchment Management Authorities, and the Western Lands Advisory Council, in developing and delivering its programs. These programs include:

Legal road network project

The majority of roads and tracks in the Western Division have never been formally constituted as public roads and remain enclosed within Western Lands Leases. These tracks and roads, which are often constructed and maintained at public expense, include parts of highways, and regional and council roads.

The Western Region of the Department of Lands has commenced the Legal Roads Network Project to create a defined network of legal public roads and private rights of way linking cities, towns and villages, providing legal access to all Western Division properties and to places of significant public interest.

A clearly defined hierarchy of roads will allow for the promotion and development of outback tourism and provide certainty in the rights of access by landholders and the general public.
This project will involve the identification and dedication of some 20,000 kilometres of public roads and is expected to take several years to finalise.

Lease conversion program

In 2005 a package of concessions was announced to make the purchase of residential Western Lands leases more affordable, especially for pensioners. These concessions, which took effect from 1st July, 2005 are :

zero interest on outstanding principal
adjust instalments so that the purchase may be paid off over time at the same instalment amount as the current lease rent
for pensioners who receive a rental rebate, their annual instalment is only the rebated rental amount they pay, which was capped by the Minister at $200 per annum
once an agreement to purchase is confirmed the amount of instalment becomes “locked in” for that period and is not subject to future changes in land value
there is no penalty for additional lump sum payments or payment in full
waiving of the need for a field assessment report or individual valuation assessment which have previously cost in the ranges of $100 to $300 and $250 to $400 respectively and
waiving of the Department’s processing fee for pensioners, a saving of $210.00.

Since the announcement of the concessions, more than 1230 applications have been received. Of these, approximately 50% have been lodged by pensioners. 1100 of these have already been finalised. This represents the conversion of more than half the residential Western Lands Leases originally eligible for the program.

Grant of Western Lands Leases on Lightning Ridge opal fields

There are 1700 Mineral Claims in the Lightning Ridge area which have residential status. These claims each comprise an area of land approximately 50 by 50 metres upon which claim holders are permitted to erect a camp residence.

An Inter Departmental Working Committee (the Committee) exists which comprises representatives from the Department of Primary Industries (Mineral Resources), Walgett Shire Council, Department of Lands and Department of Planning. The Committee was formed to develop a scheme to provide for the issue of Torrens Titles to the owners of camps on the opal fields.

The scheme developed by the Committee provides for the grant of a title in the form of a Western Lands lease for the purpose of ‘residence’ for a term of 20 years. The Department of Lands is issuing these leases following application by the mineral claim holder. To date, approximately 807 invitations have been issued (to apply for such a lease), and 264 leases have been granted.

White Cliffs dugouts

There are 118 dugouts at White Cliffs used primarily for residential purposes. These dugouts are located within only a few kilometres of the centre of White Cliffs at three separate locations (in and around three hills).

All of the Dugouts, except the Underground Motel which is held as a Western Lands lease for business, are currently held under either a licence under the Crown Lands Act or a permissive occupancy granted under the former Crown Lands Consolidation Act. These tenancies are considered by financial institutions as not providing enough security against borrowed funds.

A Working Group has been established to review opportunities to provide a secure title for the 120 residential dugouts at White Cliffs. The Working Group is chaired by the Department of Planning.

The scheme proposed by the Working Group will provide dugout holders with the opportunity to obtain freehold title to there dugout residence. Action is currently progressing on an amendment to Central Darling LEP and the definition and dedication of access roads to the dugout sites. Both of these issues are being progressed by Central Darling Shire Council.