In a housing crisis, new Elders' accommodation on the NSW Central Coast is about giving something back to "our old people who have paved the way for us", the local Land Council says.
Darkinjung LALC is nearing completion of Aunty Betty's place, nine fully-fitted units in Blue Haven, around two hours north of Sydney.
Principally, it's about a quality of life for their Elders, Darkinjung acting chair Jainarri Lake told National Indigenous Times.
The "state-of-the-art" units are built with functional layouts for individual needs; like adjustable kitchen benches and sinks, wheel chair access, and importantly, two bedrooms for visitors, live-in family or carers.
Each has its own courtyard, and an adjoined community hub can host anything from fitness classes to birthdays, cultural celebrations or just somewhere to have a cup of tea.
Ms Lake knows the community benefit Aunty Betty's Place will bring, and fears for other comparable projects and plans around the state should proposed changes to Crown Lands legislation in the state come to fruition.
In March, the state government put the Crown Land Management Amendment Bill on hold following major backlash and protest from the state's Aboriginal Land Council network.
NSW Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper had said the proposed amendments were only to address "edge cases" where technical non-compliance, like paperwork and clerical error, made plots of Crown Land eligible.
The state's land rights peak body, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, however, takes the proposed changes very seriously.
NSW ALC Deputy Chair Leeanne Hampton said the proposal "sets a dangerous precedent for retrospective law-making", and Chair Dr Raymond Kelly warns it could erode decades of work for land rights in the state.
There are thousands of submitted and yet unapproved Aboriginal land claims around NSW.
Sod turned for the construction of Aunty Betty's on the Central Coast place in 2024.
Another Aboriginal Land Council network will march to Parliament House in Sydney in protest of the Bill, organised for Wednesday, May 6. Darkinjung LALC will be there in solidarity.
They have hundreds of submitted land claims for sites in their local area, Ms Lake said, and could only afford the $6.5 million Aunty Betty's Place project through revenue from their assets from previous claims.
As it stands, the Land Rights Act facilitates self-determination in action, she added.
"This is what Aunty Betty's is built off," Ms Lake said.
Acutely, legislative changes could stop any plans to expand the accommodation site to more units for more Elders. Broadly, there's a risk for the ongoing detrimental impact.
"This is our (Land Council) members' future," Ms Lake said of secure land rights. "This is going to impact our children...it's left a really bad taste in all of our mouths, the way this has all transpired."
Dr Kelly fears changes to Crown Lands legislation could put more than 40,000 active claims in the state's pipeline at risk.
"Opportunities for Elders, like Aunty Betty's Place, are important for cultural connection and connection with community. If the Bill were to pass, future opportunities like Aunty Betty's Place will be put at risk and be much harder to deliver," he said.
"This Bill will have an effect across the whole of the state. LALCs need access to land in order to deliver positive programs like Aunty Betty's Place. NSWALC will continue to fight this Bill."
