Posted on March 12, 2021 by Lindsay Taylor and Frances Tse

ALERT: Independent Statutory Review of Crown Land Management Act 2016

The Crown Land Commissioner, Professor Richard Bush, is undertaking an independent statutory review of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (CLM Act) and has published a discussion paper seeking the public’s input into the review.

About the statutory review 

The Commissioner was appointed on 12 October 2018 and has functions under s12.2(5) of the CLM Act including to advise the Minister, and inquire into and report, on any matter arising out of the administration of the CLM Act.

The current statutory review is being undertaken pursuant to those functions and focuses on the effectiveness of the implementation of the CLM Act since its commencement in July 2018.

The Commissioner has also stated that the review will assist him in identifying whether the CLM Act is fit for the future and whether it will enable the strategic outcomes identified in the draft State Strategic Plan for Crown land to be achieved, while also meeting the needs and expectations of different stakeholders more broadly. The draft plan was exhibited  from 9 July – 20 August 2020 and is currently being finalised.

Discussion Paper

To assist in the Commissioner’s review of the CLM Act, a discussion paper titled ‘Evaluation of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 – A Discussion Paper’ has been published for public consultation.

The discussion paper provides that the statutory review has the following 3 objectives:

  1. determine the extent to which the reform has achieved the desired outcomes for the community,
  2. determine how successfully the Department has brought the CLM Act into operation, and
  3. provide recommendations that address the key factors affecting the success of Crown land reforms.

It sets out specific questions and seeks the public’s response to those questions. The deadline for responding to the discussion paper is Thursday, 25 March 2021.

On completion of the statutory review, the Commissioner will prepare a report on the findings with recommendations that will be provided to the NSW Government.

The Discussion Paper can be viewed here.

If you would like to discuss this post, please contact Dr. Lindsay Taylor on 8235 9701 or Frances Tse on 8235 9711.