Legislation History and Free Advocacy Templates
Know our rights.Understand our history.Build our future.
Official legislation by state and territory, historical laws and policies, and practical NATSIC-AS templates for people, land councils and Indigenous corporations.
Start with the rightplace and framework.
Find official legislation and reliable historical records by jurisdiction. Current law and historical laws are clearly separated. Start with the place, organisation, employer and decision involved, then check the version that applied at the relevant time.
Commonwealth
Commonwealth laws can apply alongside state or territory laws. CATSI registration is distinct from a statutory land council or trust. These Acts do not establish that any particular organisation, employment relationship or complaint falls within a federal pathway.
Country, native title and governance
Native title and statutory land ownership are different frameworks. For a CATSI corporation or PBC, check registration, the rule book and the relevant native title decision process. A corporation’s member vote does not replace every common law holder consultation requirement.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Native Title Act 1993
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Native Title (Prescribed Bodies Corporate) Regulations 1999
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The federal racial discrimination framework is an important starting point for race-based treatment and equality before the law. Other federal discrimination Acts and state or territory laws may also apply. The complaint route and available remedies depend on the conduct and jurisdiction.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Racial Discrimination Act 1975
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
Fair Work, Commonwealth WHS and Comcare legislation have their own coverage rules. They are separate from state injury schemes. Identify the employer, employment status, injury or decision date and applicable system before selecting an application or review pathway.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Fair Work Act 2009
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
New South Wales
NSW Aboriginal Land Councils operate under a distinct NSW land-rights statute. Do not assume a land council is registered under CATSI. The national workplace system, NSW state industrial system and injury scheme have different coverage rules.
Country, land councils and heritage
Use the land-rights Act for the NSW land council framework and land claims, and the National Parks and Wildlife Act as a starting point for Aboriginal cultural heritage. Native title can operate separately; identify the land, decision and organisation involved.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The NSW Anti-Discrimination Act covers specified forms of discrimination and related conduct in defined areas. Federal discrimination protections may also apply. A choice of complaint pathway should account for coverage, time limits and any overlap with another proceeding.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
NSW state industrial legislation remains relevant to workers outside the national system. WHS and compensation are separate frameworks. Check the employer, injury date and applicable scheme; the listed compensation Act is only part of the NSW statutory scheme.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Industrial Relations Act 1996
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workers Compensation Act 1987
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Queensland
Queensland has separate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and cultural heritage Acts. The federal native title framework may also apply. Queensland public sector and local government employment may engage the state industrial system; check coverage before choosing a forum.
Country, land and cultural heritage
Queensland separately recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and cultural heritage. Start with the community and type of land or heritage issue, then identify the correct Act. These frameworks are different from CATSI registration and the federal native title scheme.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Land Act 1991
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The Anti-Discrimination Act and Human Rights Act address different questions and processes. The human rights framework includes duties relevant to covered public entities, while discrimination complaints require protected grounds and covered conduct. Cultural rights do not automatically decide every membership or governance dispute.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Anti-Discrimination Act 1991
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Human Rights Act 2019
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
For workplace issues, first distinguish national Fair Work coverage from the Queensland state industrial system. Work health and safety duties and workers compensation decisions follow their own legislation. Keep employment action, injury benefits and statutory review deadlines separate.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Industrial Relations Act 2016
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Victoria
Victoria’s Traditional Owner settlement, Aboriginal heritage and human rights frameworks operate alongside Commonwealth native title and discrimination laws. Most Victorian employment falls within the national workplace system, with exceptions. Victoria uses its Occupational Health and Safety Act rather than a model WHS Act.
Country, settlement and heritage
The Traditional Owner Settlement Act provides a state settlement framework, while the Aboriginal Heritage Act addresses cultural heritage. A settlement, native title determination, heritage role and corporation membership can involve different rights and decision-makers. Identify the relevant agreement and statutory process.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The Equal Opportunity Act and Charter serve different roles. Discrimination protections apply within the Act’s scope, and Charter duties particularly concern public authorities. Check the decision-maker and available procedure before assuming a Charter claim or a particular remedy is available.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Equal Opportunity Act 2010
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
Victoria maintains an occupational health and safety framework and a separate workplace injury scheme. The national Fair Work Act may govern an employment dispute at the same time. Check the law at the injury date, scheme coverage and the decision being challenged.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Western Australia
Western Australia has both national-system and state-system employment. Do not choose Fair Work coverage from location or an Aboriginal organisation’s name alone. The listed land and heritage Acts are representative starting points; specific tenure, native title and corporate rules may also matter.
Country, land and heritage
The Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act and Aboriginal Heritage Act are key WA starting points for Aboriginal land administration and heritage. They do not replace the Native Title Act. Identify the tenure, proposed activity, affected people and relevant statutory approval process.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
WA’s Equal Opportunity Act prohibits specified discrimination within its statutory scope. Commonwealth laws may provide another pathway. The applicable ground, area of activity, respondent and timing must be identified before deciding which complaint process can deal with the concern.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
WA’s Industrial Relations Act applies within the state system, while covered national-system employees use Fair Work pathways. Safety and injury compensation remain separate inquiries. The 2023 compensation Act is the current starting point; earlier injury dates may require transitional and historical-law checks.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Industrial Relations Act 1979
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work Health and Safety Act 2020
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
South Australia
South Australian Aboriginal land ownership involves more than one statute. This selected directory uses the Aboriginal Lands Trust and heritage Acts as entry points. Particular communities may also have specific land-rights legislation; federal native title and CATSI requirements must be checked separately.
Country, land and heritage
The Aboriginal Lands Trust Act concerns the Trust and its land, while the Aboriginal Heritage Act addresses heritage protection. Neither is a complete directory of SA Aboriginal land laws. Specific community land-rights Acts, tenure and native title may need separate investigation.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The Equal Opportunity Act provides SA’s principal listed discrimination framework. Commonwealth protections may apply alongside it. Identify the protected ground, area of activity and complaint process; this directory does not imply that every unfair decision amounts to unlawful discrimination.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
South Australian safety duties and the Return to Work compensation scheme are separate from an employment claim. Check national or state industrial coverage, the relevant injury date and review notice. The selected Acts are starting points, with regulations and transitional provisions also potentially relevant.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Return to Work Act 2014
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Tasmania
Tasmania’s Aboriginal land-return and heritage frameworks are distinct from corporate registration and federal native title. State public sector employment has different coverage from private-sector and local-government employment. Check employer, tenure, injury date and the current as well as historical version of the relevant law.
Country, land and heritage
The Aboriginal Lands Act concerns specified land returned to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. The Aboriginal Heritage Act addresses heritage protection. These should not be treated as a general entitlement to land or as substitutes for a native title or corporation-governance assessment.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Lands Act 1995
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act addresses discrimination and specified related conduct and establishes complaint processes. Commonwealth protections may also be relevant. The protected attribute, conduct, setting, timing and any competing proceeding need to be identified before a suitable pathway is selected.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Anti-Discrimination Act 1998
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
The Tasmanian safety and compensation Acts address workplace prevention and injury support through different mechanisms. Employment-system coverage is a separate question. Keep an injury benefits dispute distinct from dismissal or discrimination, and check the decision notice and applicable review process.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Northern Territory
NT statutory land councils and Land Trusts operate within the Commonwealth Aboriginal land-rights framework, while sacred-site protection has a Territory statute. These entities are different from CATSI corporations and PBCs. Employment, discrimination, safety and injury compensation coverage require separate assessment.
Country, land councils and sacred sites
The Commonwealth land-rights Act and NT sacred-sites Act address distinct matters. Start with the relevant Land Trust, land council, traditional-owner interests, site and proposed activity. Native title and corporate governance may require additional legislation and separate consultation or decision processes.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The NT Anti-Discrimination Act is a starting point for specified discrimination, sexual harassment and related conduct. Commonwealth discrimination protections may also apply. Check the current version and the law at the event date, as amendments can change grounds, exceptions and processes.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Anti-Discrimination Act 1992
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
NT safety legislation and the Return to Work Act have different roles from Fair Work employment remedies. A worker may need more than one assessment. Confirm the relevant employer, injury, employment category and decision before selecting a regulator, claim or review process.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Return to Work Act 1986
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT directory uses its heritage, discrimination and human-rights statutes. No separate ACT Aboriginal land-rights Act is asserted here. Commonwealth native title may be relevant. Identify the employing body and applicable injury scheme; do not assume all ACT workers use one compensation system.
Country and heritage
The Heritage Act is the listed ACT starting point for Aboriginal heritage matters. Native title is a separate Commonwealth framework. A heritage concern, land-tenure question, cultural-rights issue and corporation dispute can require different evidence, decision-makers and processes; do not merge them into one pathway.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Heritage Act 2004
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Discrimination and human rights
The Discrimination Act and Human Rights Act establish distinct protections and procedures. Public-authority conduct and cultural rights may raise human-rights issues, while discrimination depends on the Act’s grounds and covered areas. Check the respondent, decision and available process before selecting a remedy.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Discrimination Act 1991
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Human Rights Act 2004
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Work, safety and compensation
ACT WHS law and the Workers Compensation Act provide selected local starting points. Commonwealth or other compensation arrangements may apply depending on the employer. Employment coverage, safety obligations and an injury claim are separate questions, each requiring its own factual and statutory check.
Legislation
Status
Official source
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT)
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
Workers Compensation Act 1951
Current frameworkCheck applicable version
No matching Acts in this jurisdiction. Try another term or jurisdiction.
This is a selected starting directory, not every applicable law. Native title, land rights, cultural heritage, corporate governance, employment and discrimination can involve overlapping laws. Regulations, rule books, awards, agreements, exemptions, commencement provisions and court decisions may also matter. Professional advocacy information only; not legal advice or legal services.
Official sources checked 11 November 2026. Some NSW current-text pages could not be retrieved during review; links point to the official register. Check the current text, commencement and version relevant to your dates before using a procedure or deadline.
The laws and policiesthat shaped injustice.
These historical laws and policies help explain dispossession, restricted movement and work, family separation and assimilation. They are not current complaint powers. A family’s experience may involve several laws, regulations and administrative practices over time; records and dates must be checked individually.
Historical records may contain racist language and distressing descriptions of dispossession, control and child removal. Original law titles are retained so records can be found. The language and policies in those records are not endorsed.
White Australia policy
1901–1973; dismantled in stages
White Australia was a policy framework implemented through several laws and administrative practices, rather than one statute. It restricted non-European migration through measures including the dictation test. Major changes occurred in 1966, and the policy was definitively renounced in 1973.
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Assented 23 December 1901; repealed 1 June 1959
A central legislative instrument of White Australia, this Act restricted immigration and provided for removal of prohibited immigrants. The dictation test was used to exclude non-white migrants. It was repealed through the Migration Act 1958; that repeal did not itself end all racially discriminatory immigration policy.
Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897
1897; subsequently amended and replaced
Queensland’s protection system gave protectors extensive control over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives. Records document forced movement to missions and reserves, permissions to marry, employment and wages, and exemptions. The Act and later amendments formed a wider administrative regime.
Torres Strait Islanders Act 1939
1939; replaced in 1965
The 1939 legislation followed Islander resistance, including the 1936 maritime strike. Although still restrictive, it recognised Torres Strait Islanders separately and provided for local elected leadership. Its history should be told alongside Islander agency and demands for control over wages and community affairs.
Aborigines Act 1905
1905 Act; royal assent proclaimed in 1906
The Act placed extensive authority over Aboriginal people with government protectors, including guardianship of Aboriginal children under 16 and powers affecting residence and employment. It supported removal and control practices whose consequences continued across generations. The historical title is retained for identification.
Aborigines Protection Act 1909
1909; later amended, including in 1915
The 1909 Act put the Protection Board on a statutory footing and expanded intervention in Aboriginal lives, including movement and employment. The 1915 amendment broadened control and custody of children. The original Act and its later amendments must be distinguished when researching a family’s experience.
Aborigines Protection Act 1869
1869; consolidated in the 1890 Act
The Act established a protection board and allowed regulation of where Aboriginal people lived, employment, and children’s care, custody and education. Later regulations enabled removal and compulsory residence or schooling. This is Victorian legislation; it should not be attributed to Tasmania.
Aborigines Protection Act 1886
1886; consolidated in the 1890 Act
The 1886 law imposed descent-based distinctions and altered access to reserve residence and support, contributing to family separation. It formed part of the Victorian protection and assimilation system. Historical racial classifications are not adopted as a present-day description of Aboriginal people.
Aborigines Act 1911
1911; replaced by the 1934 Act
The Act established the Chief Protector and regional protectors, asserted guardianship over Aboriginal children despite living parents, and authorised control and movement of people on reserves and institutions. Later laws changed the regime; individual removal histories require dates and records.
Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910 (SA)
1910; continued after Commonwealth transfer in 1911
Passed while the Northern Territory was administered by South Australia, the Act created a control department and guardianship and removal powers. South Australian laws continued after the Territory transferred to the Commonwealth in 1911 until altered. It was later replaced by the 1918 regime.
Aboriginals Ordinance 1918
1918; later replaced under the Welfare Ordinance 1953
The ordinance combined the earlier South Australian Act and Commonwealth ordinance, continuing wide powers over Aboriginal people. Amendments altered definitions and administration over time. Its protection framework was followed by a wardship regime, so abolition of one law did not immediately end coercive control.
Cape Barren Island Reserve Act 1912
1912; replaced by the 1945 Act
The Act regulated occupation of Cape Barren Island reserve land, imposed residence conditions and enabled removal of some adult residents. Racial and marital restrictions affected licences. Tasmania’s wider child-removal history also involved general welfare laws; no Tasmanian 1869 protection Act is asserted here.
Aborigines Welfare Ordinance 1954
1954; repealed in 1965
The ordinance replaced NSW protection legislation continued in the ACT and authorised ministerial supervision, reserve control and specified removal processes. After repeal, general child-welfare legislation remained relevant to Aboriginal children. Historical arrangements involving Jervis Bay must be distinguished from present territorial boundaries.
Protection and assimilation policies / forced removals
Different periods and laws in each jurisdiction
Protection and assimilation were policy approaches carried out through changing statutes, regulations, institutions and administrative decisions. They were not one uniform national law. The Bringing Them Home report documents the history and consequences of forced removals, with separate statutory histories for each jurisdiction.
No historical entries match. Try a different term.
White Australia is identified as a policy framework implemented through multiple laws, rather than a single Act. Its migration restrictions are distinguished from the protection, segregation and assimilation laws imposed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Original titles are retained for accurate research.
Useful documents.Ready to make your own.
Download a NATSIC-AS Word template, replace the placeholders and adapt it to your organisation, circumstances and governing requirements.
Governance meeting notice and agenda
Prepare a board, general meeting or AGM notice with an agenda and a record of the requirements checked before it is issued.
Board meeting minutes and action record
Record authority, conflicts, resolutions, voting and assigned actions without converting allegations into findings.
AGM minutes and member decision record
Document member attendance, eligibility, reports, elections and exact resolutions at an annual general meeting.
Interests and conflict management register
Record an interest separately from the particular conflict and document how participation, information and quorum were managed.
Conflict of interest policy planning template
Develop an organisation-specific policy for disclosure, gifts, related parties, recusal and fair responses to a possible breach.
Internal governance dispute notice
Set out the decision, supporting material, internal dispute clause, previous responses and practical outcome sought.
Membership application and decision record
Record an application against the organisation's actual eligibility rules and preserve the application, decision and communication trail.
Member request for a general meeting
Prepare a member meeting request with proposed business, supporting member details and a checklist of the actual requisition rules.
Resignation letter
An editable letter for someone who has decided to resign, with clear placeholders for notice and the proposed final day.
Unpaid wages enquiry
Ask an employer to check a possible wage discrepancy using dates, hours, payslips and your calculation.
Unpaid superannuation enquiry
Ask for contribution dates, amounts and fund details where your superannuation records appear incomplete.
Family and domestic violence leave request
Request leave and safe communication arrangements without placing unnecessary personal or safety details in routine correspondence.
Workplace discrimination or bullying concern
Raise a workplace concern through a factual chronology, supporting material, impact and the response you seek.
PBC consultation and consent planning record
Plan and record the separate corporate authority and native title consultation steps relevant to a PBC decision.
Land council decision review preparation checklist
Organise the organisation, decision, governing statute, notice, evidence and possible review route before seeking assistance.
ORIC notice response preparation checklist
Organise the exact notice, response authority, evidence, disputed issues and corrective plan before preparing a regulator response.
No matching templates. Try another term.
These are preparation templates, not approved statutory forms. Do not assume CATSI notice periods, quorum or member thresholds apply to every land council. Check the relevant Act, regulations, rule book and any separate native title consultation requirements. No template lodges a claim or extends a deadline.
Governance resources are original NATSIC-AS adaptations informed by ORIC guidance. Relevant ORIC-produced source material is © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Changes, sources and credits are retained in each governance download. ORIC has not endorsed the NATSIC-AS templates.
Keep the originalsources close.
Use ORIC’s current models and guidance alongside the NATSIC-AS preparation resources. A rule book requires careful, organisation-specific work.
Minutes of a directors meeting
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Notice of a directors meeting
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Member request to call general meeting
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Appointment of proxy
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Minutes of an annual general meeting
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Notice of annual general meeting
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Conflict of interest policy
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Register of interests
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Notice of dispute
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
The Rule Book condensed
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Rule book for RNTBCs
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Application for membership
Official ORIC template and guidance source. Confirm the current version and suitability for your organisation.
Original ORIC forms, rule books, Commonwealth Coat of Arms and third-party materials retain their own identity and applicable terms. See ORIC copyright and disclaimer.
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