{"id":"aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982","name":"Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982","slug":"aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":28659,"registerId":"vic-aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982","content":"Version No. 005\n\n**Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982**\n\n**No. 9796 of 1982**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n20 May 2024\n\n**table of provisions**\n\n*Section Page*\n\n1 Short title and commencement 1\n\n2 Interpretation 2\n\n3 Revocation of Order in Council 2\n\nSchedule 4\n\nEndnotes 5\n\n1 General information 5\n\n2 Table of Amendments 7\n\n3 Explanatory details 8\n\n**Version No.** **005**\n\n**Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982**\n\n**No. 9796 of 1982**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n20 May 2024\n\nAn Act to make provision with respect to a Crown Grant of land at Watt Street, Northcote in the Parish of Jika Jika.\n\n**Preamble**\n\nWHEREAS the land shown on the Plan in the Schedule was temporarily reserved by Order in Council dated 27 October 1981 for an Aborigines Community Centre:\n\nAnd whereas the Aborigines' Advancement League (Victoria) was appointed as the committee of management of that land:\n\nAnd whereas it is in the interests of the Aboriginal people of Victoria that the land be vested in the Aborigines' Advancement League (Victoria):\n\nBe it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):\n\n\t1 Short title and commencement\n\n(1) This Act may be cited as the **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982**.\n\n(2) This Act shall come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation of the Governor in Council published in the *Government Gazette*.\n\n\t2 Interpretation\n\nIn this Act unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter—\n\n***League*** means the Aborigines' Advancement League (Victoria), a benevolent society registered under Part III. of the **Hospitals and Charities Act 1958**;\n\n***Watt Street land*** means the land shown on the plan in the Schedule.\n\n\t3 Revocation of Order in Council\n\n(1) The Order of the Governor in Council dated 27 October 1981 temporarily reserving the Watt Street land for an Aborigines Community Centre, and excepting that land from prospecting and from occupation for mining purposes under any miner's right shall be revoked.\n\n(2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the **Land Act 1958** but subject to this Act, the Governor in Council shall issue a Crown grant of the Watt Street land to the trustees for the time being of the League.\n\n(3) The Crown grant is made subject to a condition that the land continue to be used for an Aboriginal Community Centre and to such additional conditions, covenants, exceptions and restrictions (if any) as exist on the day on which this Act comes into operation.\n\nS. 3(4) amended by Nos 11/2002 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 1), 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 4), 6/2009 s. 45.\n\n(4) A lease, licence, permit or other authority under the **Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990** or the **Petroleum Act 1998** shall not be granted in respect of any part of the Watt Street land except with the consent of the governing body of the League and subject to such terms and conditions as the governing body of the League thinks fit to impose.\n\nSchedule\n\n![]()\n\n\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\n*Minister's second reading speech—*\n\n*Legislative Assembly: 9 November 1982*\n\n*Legislative Council: 16 November 1982*\n\nThe long title for the Bill for this Act was—\n\nAn Act to make provision with respect to a Crown Grant of land at Watt Street, Northcote in the Parish of Jika Jika.\n\nThe **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982** was assented to on 23 November 1982 and came into operation on 24 November 1982: Government Gazette 24 November 1982 page 3816.\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original section or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act.  \nSee section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982** by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n**Statute Law (Further Revision) Act 2002, No. 11/2002**\n\n| Assent Date: | 23.4.02 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 3(Sch. 1 item 1) on 24.4.02: s. 2(1) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982** |\n\n\n**Mineral Resources Development (Sustainable Development) Act 2006, No. 63/2006**\n\n| Assent Date: | 29.8.06 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 61(Sch. item 4) on 30.8.06: s. 2(1) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982** |\n\n\n**Resources Industry Legislation Amendment Act 2009, No. 6/2009**\n\n| Assent Date: | 3.3.09 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 45 on 1.1.10: s. 2(2) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Aboriginal Lands (Aborigines' Advancement League) (Watt Street, Northcote) Act 1982** |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\nNo entries at date of publication.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act implements the Preamble’s stated purpose to vest the Watt Street land in the Aborigines' Advancement League for use as an Aboriginal Community Centre. Subsequent amendments updated references to resource legislation and modernised wording of s.3(4), but the core scope — vesting the parcel to the League subject to a use condition and consent requirement for resource authorities — remains unchanged (Preamble; s.3(1)–(4); Table of Amendments)."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow subject-matter: applies to a single, identified parcel of land (Schedule; definition of Watt Street land).","Few operative provisions: three substantive subsections in s.3 (revocation, grant direction, conditions; s.3(1)–(3)).","Administrative discretion concentrated in the executive: Governor in Council must issue the Crown grant (s.3(2)) and previously made the reservation (s.3(1)).","Ongoing use restriction creates a compliance obligation on trustees: Crown grant is subject to continued use as an Aboriginal Community Centre (s.3(3)).","Consent requirement for resource approvals links to other statutes and creates veto power for the League over mining/petroleum authorities (s.3(4)).","Cross-references to other statutes increase interpretive links (Land Act 1958; Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990; Petroleum Act 1998).","Historical amendments updated statutory references and resource-regime language but did not add extensive new regulatory regimes (amendments recorded in Table of Amendments)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act transfers a particular Crown parcel in Watt Street, Northcote to the Aborigines' Advancement League (Victoria) by directing the Governor in Council to issue a Crown grant to the League's trustees, subject to a condition that the land remain an Aboriginal Community Centre. It revokes the prior temporary reservation and prevents mineral or petroleum authorities being granted over the land without the League’s consent (s.3(1)–(4)). The League receives title with ongoing use conditions and a veto over resource approvals."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: transferring the Watt Street land to the Aborigines' Advancement League. The only amendments since 1982 have been technical updates to reflect changes in the names of mining and petroleum legislation (updating references from repealed Acts to current ones), without expanding the substantive scope of the Act."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 operative sections plus a Schedule","2 defined terms in the interpretation section","Single purpose legislation dealing with one specific parcel of land","Minimal cross-referencing (only to Land Act 1958, Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990, and Petroleum Act 1998)","Straightforward conditional logic (one main condition on the Crown grant and one consent requirement for mining leases)","No nested exceptions or complex procedural requirements"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act grants Crown title to the Watt Street, Northcote site to the trustees of the Aborigines' Advancement League (Victoria), revoking a prior temporary reservation. It requires the land be used as an Aboriginal community centre and prevents mining or similar activity without the League’s governing body’s approval, securing permanent, community-controlled ownership and use for Victoria’s Aboriginal community."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982","history":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982/history","analysis":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/aboriginal-lands-aborigines-advancement-league-watt-street-northcote-act-1982/documents"}}