A Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

to administer former

Aboriginal reserve An Aboriginal reserve, also called simply reserve, was a government-sanctioned settlement for Aboriginal Australians, created under various state and federal legislation. Along with missions and other institutions, they were used from the 19th c ...

s and missions. They came about through the enactment by the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...

of the ''

Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

'' and ''

Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984 Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

'' in 1984, allowing community councils to be created to own and administer former

s or missions under a Deed of Grant in Trust). The trusts are governed by local representatives who are elected every three years to councils called Incorporated Aboriginal Councils. These councils have the power to pass by-laws, appoint police for the community, and are responsible for maintaining housing and infrastructure, running the Community Development Employment Program and issuing hunting, fishing and camping permits. As such, they work much like a local government, but are different in character as they own the land they administer on behalf of the community. Most of the Torres Strait Islands entered DOGIT arrangements in October 1985, with the notable exception of

Mer Island Mer Island is an island locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. The locality consists of a single island, Murray Island. In the , Mer Island had a population of 450. The town of Murray Island is on the island's north ...

, which became the subject of the Mabo No.1 (1988) and No.2 (1992) cases. The first Aboriginal community to receive a DOGIT was

Hope Vale Hope Vale (also known as Hopevale) is a town within the Aboriginal Shire of Hope Vale and a coastal locality split between the Aboriginal Shire of Hope Vale and the Shire of Cook, both in Queensland, Australia. It is an Aboriginal community. I ...

on 27 July 1986. In the years following, many DOGIT communities were established—mostly in the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...

and

Carpentaria ''Carpentaria acuminata'' (carpentaria palm), the sole species in the genus ''Carpentaria'', is a Arecaceae, palm native to tropical coastal regions in the north of Northern Territory, Australia. It is a slender palm, growing to tall in the g ...

regions. The ''Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004'' extended to community councils many of the provisions and benefits of the ''Local Government Act 1993'' normally enjoyed by shire councils. From 1 January 2015, some trustees, namely those classified as "urban" or "future urban" (numbering 34) are able to convert parts of the collective title to either Aboriginal freehold or Torres Strait Islander freehold title.

Communities

The following is a list of DOGIT communities in Queensland.

References

External links

Aboriginal Law Bulletin (1984)

Public Health Law and Indigenous Health Project (2002)
{cbignore, bot=medic Native title in Australia Government of Queensland

Communities

See also

References

External links