The Township Lease Consultative Forum is a group of Traditional Owners which is initially nominated by the local land council, who advise the Executive Director of Township Leasing.
About the Consultative Forum
The Township Lease Consultative Forum is a group of Traditional Owners which is initially nominated by the local land council, who advise the Executive Director of Township Leasing. The forum members work with the Executive Director to decide how land is used in a Township, and advise the Executive Director about local considerations that affect the operation of the Township Lease.
The Consultative Forum meets regularly with the Executive Director to talk about a range of issues, such as:
- land management and planning in the Township;
- applications for new developments;
- the general design and appearance of new buildings;
- the terms and conditions of commercial Subleases;
- how the Township Lease is working;
- local economic development opportunities, and
- management of sacred and culturally important sites in the Township.
Once a Township Lease is signed, the land council nominates Traditional Owners and, in some cases residents of the Township area to form the Consultative Forum. Membership of the Consultative Forum is flexible. At the direction of Consultative Forum members, the forum can include Traditional Owners of the Township area, community residents and representatives of the land council.
Required in every lease
Convening a Consultative Forum is a requirement of every Township Lease.
The Executive Director of Township Leasing must consult with Traditional Owners on all developments and land use matters in the Township. Failing to do so would break the legal agreement with the land trust and land council.
“The Consultative Forum is at the centre of every Township Lease”
- Greg Roche, former Executive Director of Township Leasing
The Consultative Forum meets regularly to discuss the Township Lease and local economic development opportunities.
The Executive Director will explain proposals or discuss ideas with the Traditional Owners and will check that these suggestions meet their aspirations.
For more information read our factsheet The Consultative Forum
Once a township lease is signed a consultative forum is formed. The consultative forum gives advice to the Executive Director about how land should be used in their township. This is central to the matter of township leasing as it ensures that the voices of Traditional Owners are heard.
The consultative forum is made up of Traditional Owners. The Traditional Owners can invite other residents to be members as well. The consultative forum will usually also include a representative of the land council.
This forum discusses many important issues that affect their community’s development. This includes planning, land management, sublease terms and conditions, economic development opportunities and managing sacred sites.
Let's say a developer would like to open a general store over here in your township. The Office of Township Leasing, with the Executive Director will make sure the development proposal is valid and also do a background check to make sure the developer is a fit and proper person.
The consultative forum will then meet and talk about the proposal. The Executive Director will explain the proposal and provide information so that forum members can talk about the development and what it means for the community. With the views of the consultative forum taken into account, a decision will be made by the Executive Director. The Executive Director will then inform the developer of the decision.
So through the consultative forum, Traditional Owners and the community can raise important issues and seek advice about development. Traditional Owners play an essential part in managing and developing the township for all residents.