AGY-7571 | Crown Lands

Full description

On 4 April 2011 Land and Property Management Authority was abolished and staff who were principally involved in the administration of the Crown Lands Act 1989 (Act No.6, 1989) were removed from the Department of Planning to the Department of Primary Industries within the newly established Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services (NSW Trade & Investment). This formed the Crown Lands division. (1)

Under the new department Crown Lands leveraged state-owned Crown land, linking with other agencies, local government, the private sector and local communities to provide social and economic outcomes for the people of NSW. Crown lands made-up nearly half of all land in NSW including 35,000 reserves, 17 State Parks, 8 major recreational trails, 70,000 leases and licences, 270 caravan parks, and 25 coastal harbours. The Crown Lands Business Centre was established in February 2011 to centralise high-volume processing of Crown Road applications, telecommunications licensing, domestic waterfront licensing and Crown reserve annual reporting. (2)

Crown Lands was moved into the Catchments and Lands branch in 2012 before transferring into the Land and Natural Resources branch in 2014 within the Department of Primary Industries, a division of NSW Trade and Investment. (3)

From 1 July 2015 NSW Trade & Investment was abolished and the Department of Primary Industries (including Crown Lands) was transferred to the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development. (4)

On 1 April 2017, the name of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development was changed to the Department of Industry. Crown Lands was moved from Department of Primary Industry division into the Lands & Forestry division by 30 June 2017. (5)

At the restructure of the Department of Industry by 5 July 2018 Crown Lands was moved into the Lands & Water division within the Department of Industry. (6)

In 2012, the NSW Government commenced a major review and reform of Crown land management. This was the first review in more than 25 years and necessary to align the governing arrangements for Crown land to the changing needs of the community. The review culminated in the establishment of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (Act No.58, 2016). The Crown Lands branch put in place the necessary policies, systems and processes to allow new, consolidated and modern Crown land legislation to start on 1 July 2018 including a key requirement of the new Act, the Community Engagement Strategy. The primary aim was to create a simplified legislative framework to manage Crown land, achieved by streamlining existing requirements and reducing red tape, particularly for the management of Crown reserves and the administration of Western lands leases. (7)

Under the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (CLM Act), the Minister may appoint a Crown Land Commissioner to advise them on matters related to the Act and perform specified functions. The first Commissioner, Professor Richard Bush, was appointed on 6 November 2018 to provide independent advice and facilitate the NSW Government’s transition to managing the estate under the CLM Act. (8)

Crown Lands had a primary responsibility for Crown land through direct management of land, assets and infrastructure, property management services and the oversight of a network of professional and volunteer land managers. The key legislation administered by Crown Lands was the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (CLM Act) and the Crown Land Management Regulation 2018. (9)

The public land management responsibilities of Crown Lands included:
- Pest and weed programs to protect natural and environmental values,
- Cultural heritage and Aboriginal cultural heritage protection,
- Bushfire trail management and hazard reduction,
- Mitigating risks to human health and the environment by remediating contamination from past use,
- Public health and safety,
- Capital asset and tenant management,
- Utilisation including commercial leasing and licensing,
- Providing advisory and support services for Crown land managers,
- Community engagement. (10)

On 1 July 2019 the Department of Industry was abolished and Crown Lands was transferred to the new Department of Planning, Industry and Environment within the Housing and Property Group division. (11) The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment was renamed the Department of Planning and Environment on 21 December 2021. (12)

From 1 January 2024 when the Department of Planning and Environment was renamed the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Crown Lands continued to be a branch of that department. (13)

Endnotes
1. (Public Sector Employment and Management Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cl.16; NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
2. NSW Trade and Investment Annual Report 2010-2011, p.42.
3. NSW Trade and Investment Annual Report 2011-2012, p.15. Crown Lands had one office located in Newcastle. (NSW Trade and Investment, Annual Report 2013-2014, p.14).
4. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order (No 2) 2015 (2015 No.250) cls.5, 6; NSW Legislation Website, 29 May 2015.
5. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2017 (2017 No.79) cls.7; NSW Legislation Website, 15 March 2017; Department of Industry, Annual Report 2016-2017, p.17.
6. Department of Industry, Annual Report, 2016-2017, p.243.
7. Crown Land Commissioner, Evaluation of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 Implementation: July 2021, p.5; Department of Industry, Annual Report, 2017-2018, p.21.
8. Crown Land website, Our Roles and Responsibilities, https://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/about/our-roles-and-responsibilities (accessed 14 April 2023).
9. Ibid.
10. Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Crown Land 2031 State Strategic Plan for Crown Land – June 2021, p.11.
11. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 (2019 No 159), cl.9(2); NSW Legislation website, 2 April 2019 as amended by Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 (2019 No 180), Schedule 1 [1]; NSW Legislation Website, 1 May 2019; Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Annual Report, 2020-2021, p.13.
12. Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Transitional) Order 2021 (2021 No 790); Schedule 2 cl.3(1); NSW Legislation Website, 21 December 2021.
13. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Miscellaneous) Order (No 6) 2023, (2023 No 648) Schedule 1, cl.20(1); NSW Legislation Website, 6 December 2023 amending Administrative Arrangements (58th Parliament) Order 2023 (2023 No 137); NSW Legislation Website, 5 April 2023; Crown Lands website, About Us, https://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/about-us (accessed 14 March 2024).