Executive Director

The role of the Executive Director

Traditional Owners remain stewards of their land. The Executive Director walks beside them in support of their cultural and economic roles.

Pirlangimpi, Melville Is. (Munupi)

The Munupi family, Traditional Owners of Pirlangimpi (formerly Garden Point) signed their 99-year Township Lease in 2017. Located on Melville Island next to the Aspley Strait, Pirlangimpi has a rich history and lays claim to be the Tiwi Islands industrial hub with the deep water Port Melville within the Township Lease boundary.

4 June 2025

Pirlangimpi, Melville Is. (Munupi)

4 June 2025

Mutitjulu, Central Australia (Anangu)

The opening of the Mutitjulu Business Centre marks a transformative moment for the community. It stands as a testament to their vision, resilience and ability to overcome barriers.

4 June 2025

Wurrumiyunga, Bathurst Is. (Mantiyupwi)

In 2007, the Mantiyupwi family signed the first-ever Township Lease over Wurrumiyanga (then known as Nguiu), one of the largest remote communities in the Northern Territory. This innovation in the administration of Aborginal land opened up the opportunity for a range of economic and social development activity that continues today.

4 June 2025

Any proposal to access or develop land in a Township Lease community requires a formal application to the Executive Director of Township Leasing.

Traditional Owners remain stewards of their land. The Executive Director walks beside them in support of their cultural and economic roles.

Many Australians buy or build their own homes or are planning and saving to do so. But for most Aboriginal people who live on Aboriginal land this has not been possible. "Tiwi People are for the first time in a position to own their own home, realising the 'great Australian dream' that the rest of Australia takes for granted." Walter Kerinaiua, Mantiyupwi Elder and Grandfather of Township Leasing, 2007

Content

The Executive Director of Township Leasing is the person who manages the land covered by a township lease in the Northern Territory.
A township lease does not change the ownership of the land. It will always remain Aboriginal land, but it is leased to the Executive Director to manage on behalf of Traditional Owners for up to 99 years.
The township lease agreement sets out what the Executive Director can and cannot do upfront and how Traditional Owners still have a say about how land is managed.
Township leasing and the position of the Executive Director was set up under the amendments made to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act NT in 2006. The Executive Director is an independent statutory office holder who works in partnership with an advisory group of Traditional Owners called the consultative forum to make decisions about land use and development in the township.
The Executive Director works to ensure Traditional Owners receive a good economic return on their land including subleasing as much of the land as possible so that traditional owners receive an income from the rent that they can use to reinvest in economic or community development opportunities.

Executive Director

The role of the Executive Director

Welcome to The Office of Township Leasing