The Role and Responsibilities of The Executive Director of Township Leasing 

Traditional Owners, past, present and emerging, are culturally responsible for managing their land. This responsibility has not changed, despite the changing circumstances of history. The Executive Director commits to walking beside Traditional Owners as they continue to meet this cultural, social and economic responsibility.  

The Executive Director of Township Leasing is the person who manages the land covered by a Township Lease in the Northern Territory.  

In a Township Lease, the land is leased to the Executive Director for up to 99 years for them to manage. The ownership of the land always stays with the Traditional Owners of the land the Township is located.  

The Township Lease agreement sets out what the Executive Director can and cannot do. 

The Executive Director is an independent statutory office holder who works in partnership with members of 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. 

The Executive Director will regularly visit communities and work with them to achieve their goals and aspirations.  

Pennie Talbot

The current Executive Director of Township leasing is Pennie Talbot who has held the position since 2018.  

Pennie is an Aboriginal woman whose family descends from the Wagiman traditional lands of the upper Daly River, with connections to the Jawoyn and Gurindji peoples.  

On 28 September 2018, the former Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Mr Nigel Scullion, appointed Pennie as the Executive Director of Township Leasing, an independent statutory position established pursuant to subsection 19A(1) of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. 

Pennie is the first Indigenous woman to hold statutory responsibilities for land tenure and administration in the Northern Territory. She has had a long career in the Commonwealth public service and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and was the founding Director of the Office of Township Leasing. 

Pennie’s motivation and drive to empower Aboriginal peoples through the Township Leasing Model has been inspired by the Traditional Owners and communities she has worked in partnership with throughout her career.  

As the Executive Director, Pennie is deeply committed to embedding acknowledgement and respect for Aboriginal culture in all land administration and decision-making processes. She strives to work in genuine partnership with Traditional Owners, who are members of the Township Lease Consultative Forums; a culturally respected space which empowers Traditional Owners to advance economic and community opportunities through land tenure for their families and community.  

Pennie is highly regarded for the strength of her relationships with Traditional Owners and a broad range of stakeholders, supported by her leadership and engagement skills with government and industry experts.