18 Council CONNECT May 2018 Property Crown land and public roads PETER BARAKATE The long-awaited commencement of the new Crown land legislation is expected to take place shortly. It is therefore timely to consider three areas where councils will experience the greatest change; namely, the vesting of Crown land in councils, the management of Crown land by councils and the closure of public roads by councils. Before we do that, here is a brief summary of the relevant legislation. The new Crown Land Management Act 2016 received royal assent on 14 November 2016 and will eventually repeal the Crown Lands Act 1989. The enactment of the new Act will have an impact on other Acts, such as the Roads Act 1993 and the Local Government Act 1993. The Crown Land Legislation Amendment Act 2017 will make consequential amendments to those other Acts. This Act received royal assent on 17 May 2017 and will commence when the Crown Land Management Act repeals the Crown Lands Act 1989. Crown land management by councils The Crown Land Management Act will bring the management of Crown land by councils under the Local Government Act, providing a largely single framework for the management of Crown and community land. This will simplify how councils manage Crown land. These provisions are expected to commence in the near future.