Land trusts and other land-holding entities
In Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may get ownership of land through land transfers.
In the past, land trusts were established to hold this land for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. New land trusts are no longer being established, and land is now granted to either:
- existing land trusts
- corporations registered under the Australian Government's Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.
Existing land trusts continue to function as usual, and are administered under the Queensland Government's Aboriginal Land Act 1991 or Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991.
Existing land trusts can establish a corporation and transfer all land and assets to the corporation.
See current land trusts and other land-holding entities on a map of entities holding Aboriginal and Torres Island land (under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991) (PDF, 2.5MB)
Role and responsibilities of land trusts
Trustees manage a land trust to ensure it:
- functions under a constitution
- has an executive committee with a chairperson
- maintains appropriate records of decisions and transactions
- holds regular meetings in accordance with the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 or Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991 and its constitution
- provides compliance documents to the Chief Executive at the end of each financial year.
Also, a land trust can:
- acquire, hold or dispose of property
- borrow, receive and spend money
- sue and be sued in its corporate name
- employ staff and engage consultants.
Land trusts are subject to ordinary local and state government laws relating to development and land taxes. However, trust land is exempt from local government rates if the land is not being used for residential or commercial purposes.
The Minister can declare minimum compliance requirements for land trusts. For more information, see the list of ministerial declarations under the Indigenous land Acts.
Find a trustee
Trustees for past land transfers are recorded in the Indigenous land holding entity. If you want to access information from the registers, complete the land holding entity register information request form (PDF, 45KB).
Publicly available information includes:
- address for service of documents
- contact phone number
- description of the land held by the entity.
You can access additional information with approval from the land trust chairperson.
Reporting requirements of land trusts
Land trusts can use the following guides and forms to meet their reporting requirements under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991. Forms can be completed electronically or in hard copy.
Land trust compliance guide
The guide has information on what forms must be completed and how to fill them out.
End-of-financial year reporting
- Land trust compliance statement (PDF, 197KB)
- Land trust details, record of members and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander land (PDF, 286KB)
- Land trust annual financial statement (PDF, 140KB)
Meetings
- Meeting attendance record (DOC, 51KB)
- Minutes template (DOC, 86KB)
- Notice template (DOC, 45KB)
- Agenda template (DOC, 65KB)
- Record of members (DOCX, 42KB)