What we do
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment holds and manages Crown land on behalf of the community. This land is used in many ways to deliver public value.
The department’s Crown Lands division manages the Crown estate, which makes up 42% of NSW land. We use a variety of land management approaches, including direct management of land, assets and infrastructure; property management services; and oversight by a network of professional and volunteer managers.
This land is valued at $12.4 billion:
- $6.2 billion of the land is directly managed by Crown Lands and the Lands Administration Ministerial Corporation (LAMC)
- $6.2 billion of the land is managed by Crown land managers.
(Crown Lands Financial Statements 30 June 2021)
The 35,000 Crown reserves in NSW include:
- many of the state’s town squares and local parks
- state heritage sites
- buildings, including community halls
- nature reserves
- coastal lands
- waterway corridors
- sporting grounds, racetracks and showgrounds
- caravan parks and camping areas
- travelling stock routes
- rest areas, walking tracks and commons
- community and government infrastructure and facilities.
Hyde Park and Bondi Beach in Sydney are 2 famous examples of the NSW Crown reserve system at work.
The department manages around 50,700 leases and licences, allowing Crown land to be used for a range of activities. This includes commercial, agricultural, industrial, community, residential and private purposes.
The Crown Lands division also manages the development, marketing and sale of Crown lands that are not needed for public purposes.
The department investigates and assesses Aboriginal land claims across the state under the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983. We manage the Crown estate in accordance with federal Native Title legislation.
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Crown Land Commissioner
The NSW Crown Land Commissioner (the Commissioner) provides independent advice to Crown land users, stakeholders, the community and Government regarding the management of Crown land.
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Land Negotiation Program Outcomes
In the largest land transfer of this type in NSW’s history, Orange will be the first region to have Crown land transferred from the State to its local council and the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council through a negotiated outcome.
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How we work
We manage and sustain public land across the state taking into consideration the environmental, social, cultural heritage and economic impacts.
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Types of Crown land
Crown reserves are land set aside on behalf of the community for a wide range of public purposes.
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Find Crown land on a map
We provide digital maps of the Crown land estate in the NSW Government Property Index provided by the ePlanning Portal.
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Land management & compliance
Includes natural assets, weed and pest control, revegetation projects, illegal dumping clean up, waterways, recreational access, sediment and erosion control.
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Crown land searches
We provide land status and information services to make sure everyone has the ability to protect the land.
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Legislation and policies
The new legislative framework will ensure that the Crown land continues to support and generate significant social, environmental and cultural benefits.
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Fees & forms
For information on all fees and charges or forms and publications for Crown land.
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Guidelines, Fact Sheets and FAQs
Find the relevant guidelines, fact sheets and faqs by topic.
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Showground stimulus funding program
Information for Showground Managers on $25 million Stimulus program to fund maintenance and improvement works at showgrounds around the state.
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Contact Crown land
Contact information for Crown land services and resources.