More than 19 hectares of Crown land will be returned to the ownership of Peak Hill Lo­cal Aboriginal Land Council following a suc­cessful Aboriginal land claim by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

Crown Lands in the Department of Plan­ning, Housing and Infrastructure has as­sessed and granted a claim over 19.65hectares of land near Albert in Central WestNew South Wales. The land will be returned to the ownership of Peak Hill Local Aborigi­nal Land Council providing new opportuni­ties for cultural, social and economic ben­efits for the Wiradjuri community.

Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act1983, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Local Aboriginal Land Councils have a right to lodge land claims on Crown land.

Land claims must be assessed against non discretionary statutory criteria in the Act, in­cluding whether the land was lawfully usedor occupied at the time of the claim, or was needed for an essential public purpose.

If the land is found to be lawfully used, occupied, or likely to be needed for an es­sential public purpose, the land claim is re­fused. If a land claim is granted, the Crownland is transferred as freehold land to theownership of the claimant land council.

Peak Hill Local Aboriginal Land Coun­cil board member Christine Peckham said“The Aboriginal community has longstand­ing continuous connections to that land andthe Bogan River and Dandaloo and Albertareas. The return of this land is great as it isa place of significance.”

Minister for Lands and Property SteveKamper said “I’m pleased to see this sectionof land returned to the ownership and stew­ardship of the local Aboriginal community.”

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) have extended a Memorandum of Under­standing (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between the two bodies and to amplify the voice of local government across the state.

LGNSW President Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM signed the agreement alongside CMA Chairman Rick Firman OAM during the first day of the 2025 LGNSW Annual Confer­ence.

The extension of the existing MoU contin­ues to strengthen the relationship between the two organisations and sets out a frame­work for cooperation on issues impacting councils, particularly those in remote, rural and regional communities.

Through the partnership, LGNSW and the CMA will collaborate on policy development, advocacy campaigns and information shar­ing, working together to deliver stronger out­comes for councils and communities right across New South Wales.

Mayor Miller said the agreement would help ensure the challenges and opportu­nities of regional and rural communities remain front and centre in statewide advo­cacy efforts. “This MoU reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the collective voice of local government and ensuring every council – no matter how large or small – has a seat at the table,” Mayor Miller said.

The Albanese and Minns Labor govern­ments have announced the completion of one of the central west’s largest ever trans­port infrastructure projects – Parkes By­pass. The $287.2 million upgrade has deliv­ered a brand new 10.5-kilometre section of the Newell Highway, which opened to traffic in April this year.

The 1,062-kilometre-long Newell Highway is one of the nation’s busiest freight routes, linking Victoria and Queensland.

The Parkes Bypass means truck drivers and freight operators will be able to get from Dubbo to Forbes without the need to navi­gate the Parkes town centre, removing up to 1,200 trucks per day from local streets and busting congestion in the regional hub.

Pedestrians and those shopping and moving around in the Parkes CBD are now enjoying the improved safety and ease of travelling without heavy vehicles navigating local streets.

Senator for NSW Deborah O’Neill had this to say “This project is delivering real ben­efits for people in Parkes and across the central west. “Safer roads, better traffic flow and more welcoming town centres are ex­actly what strong regional communities de­serve. It is a major investment in the future prosperity of the region.”