In the midst of land return discussions, Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman Michael Mansell believes the organisation does not receive enough money for land management.
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This is despite $170,000 of its budget each year going towards administration and office costs.
Mr Mansell said the council has received about $320,000 a year for land management since 2008.
"Of that money, $55,000 goes towards insurance payments," he said.
"It has always been a very tight budget.
"A lot of people might point out that some assets that were received 25 years or so ago have fallen over because the land council just doesn't have the money to repair it."
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Mr Mansell said the $170,000 in administrative costs covers the salaries of two part-time finance employees and a manager.
He said $40,000 was spent on asset repairs last year.
Mr Mansell said 12 Aboriginal people employed to undertake manual tasks associated with land management had their wages paid for through the federal government's Caring For Country program.
"We've run into problems with getting qualified staff because you just can't pay the salary that is required," he said.
Land handbacks were discussed between Mr Mansell and Premier Peter Gutwein this week.
Mr Mansell said he could not yet say what land the Tasmanian Aboriginal community saw as a priority for returns though suspected parts of the West Coast wilderness area and land around Mount William would be high on the agenda.
Land returns have been viewed as a vexed issue for some, particularly regarding fears that access to public areas would be prevented to non-Aboriginal people - as is the case for Preminghana.
According to the Aboriginal Lands Act, however, the public does have the right to access the coast through pedestrian access through the parcel of land.
North-West Tasmanian Aboriginal man, Peter Benson, is not recognised as Aboriginal by the land managers the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania.
He said he hoped discussion over future land returns by the government was open to more community-based Aboriginal groups beyond the two mainly recognised state bodies.
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