The NSW Government has approved an Aboriginal land claim over the former Orange Police station site in Byng Street.
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NSW Nationals' MLC Sam Farraway said the land claim has been assessed by the Aboriginal Land Claims unit within the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and approved by the minister for water, property and housing Melinda Pavey.
"The former NSW Police station site in Byng Street has been vacant for a number of years following the opening of the city's new police station across the road," Mr Farraway said.
"Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, vacant Crown land can be claimed by Local Aboriginal Land Councils if it is not being lawfully used or occupied.
"The land claim was lodged by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council on behalf of Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council."
"We're excited," said the CEO of the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council Annette Steele.
She said the land council had been working on the claim for over 10 years.
"Now we need to get it cleaned up and tidied up so it's not so much of an eyesore in the community."
She said she and other members of the community were unable to gain access to the site on Thursday afternoon following the announcement of the government's decision, but were hopeful of soon being able to get inside the building.
No final decision has been made on how the site will be put to use.
Ms Steele said she wanted the building to "fit in with the streetscape" and become a positive hub for Indigenous people in the community.
Mr Farraway said the granted land covers about 2,000 square metres on the former police station site and does not extend to the adjacent courthouse.
"The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment will conduct a site survey to confirm the boundaries of the land prior to it being transferred to Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council as freehold land," Mr Farraway said.
According to minister Pavey over 1,500 NSW land claims were assessed in 2019-20.
In that time frame 280 land grants were approved.
"This was the highest number of claims ever processed and grants ever made in a single year since the Aboriginal Land Rights Act was introduced in 1983," she said.
"More than 150,000 hectares of land have now been granted to Local Aboriginal Land Councils through Aboriginal Land Claims since the Aboriginal Land Rights Act began."