Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the requested amendments be made.

The Northern Territory government and the land councils have put the view that the rental cap on the township leases will impede the implementation of the Township Leasing Scheme. What they have suggested to me, and I have taken their advice, is that the five per cent cap that the government has in the legislation, which we now seek to remove, would potentially send the wrong message to some traditional owners that five per cent was an expectation or, in some cases—I might say unlikely—that more than five per cent of the value of the land may be warranted and that this arbitrary figure, whilst it had been proposed earlier, should be removed. Following consideration of these issues, the government has agreed to remove the rental cap. We have listened to the stakeholders and will ensure this happens.

I also announced this decision in the House when we debated the bill back in June, so it is no surprise to members today or to those who are particularly interested in this bill. The requested amendments are part of a series of amendments agreed to by the Senate to remove the rental cap. The amendments also remove the prohibition on payments other than rent and make it clear that all payments must be made to the traditional owners. I table the amendments.

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