A Wiradjuri elder and former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, Roy Ah-See, has voiced strong criticism regarding recent Indigenous land claims lodged over several prominent Sydney landmarks, including the iconic Bondi Icebergs. Ah-See accused an Aboriginal land council of "weaponising" land rights legislation, stating that such actions do not align with the original intent of the laws.
The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council confirmed on Friday that it had submitted a land claim over the Bondi Icebergs pool and licensed club. This claim is part of a broader context of approximately 44,000 outstanding Aboriginal land claims in New South Wales.
Other well-known sites reportedly subject to claims include Club Rose Bay, St Michael's Golf Club at Little Bay, and Matraville RSL, also known as Club Matto. Ah-See expressed particular concern over the claim involving Bondi Icebergs, calling it "really concerning" and stating that this was "never the intent" of the legislation when he previously chaired the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, Aboriginal land councils can claim Crown land if it meets specific criteria, including being legally available for sale or lease, not lawfully used or occupied, not needed for essential public purposes, and not subject to native title claims. Lodging a claim does not guarantee its approval.
Ah-See described some of the recent claims as "exploitative" and argued they misrepresented the purpose of legislation designed to compensate Aboriginal people for historical loss of land. He called for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to engage with the local body responsible for the claims to encourage discussion.
Aboriginal land rights legislation was first introduced in the Northern Territory in 1976, with New South Wales following in 1983. This legislation differs from the later Native Title Act of 1993, which acknowledges traditional ownership and grants a bundle of rights rather than freehold title.
