Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation

The CLCAC was established in 1982 in Burketown to represent the rights and interests of Traditional Owners.  Our members are drawn from the nine language groups whose traditional lands and waters are located in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria.

On 30 June 1994 the CLCAC was recognised as the native title representative body under the Native Title Act 1993 for the Gulf of Carpentaria Region.  Our native title representative body area encompassed land and waters from the Northern Territory border east of Normanton and included the islands and seas of the lower Gulf of Carpentaria. On 1 July 2001, the Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs extended the CLCAC's NTRB area to encompass the much larger Greater Mount Isa Region.

In June 2008, the CLCAC requested that the minister authorise the funding of the CLCAC as the body performing the functions of a native title representative body pursuant to s.203FE of the Native Title Act for the Gulf Region only.  The Minister was prepared to do so, and from 1 July 2008 the CLCAC has received funds to perform the functions of a native title service body for the Gulf Region.

Today, the CLCAC is the largest and eminent corporate entity representing the interests and constituent traditional owner groups in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria.  The nine traditional groups in the Gulf continue to form the basic political and social units represented within the CLCAC.  All members of the CLCAC affiliate with one primary traditional owner group and each such group is represented on our Board of Directors.  

Photo Courtesy of Marnie Parkinson