Petition calls for CLC to be sacked

One of Australia's most powerful Aboriginal land councils has defended itself following a petition calling for the organisation to be sacked.

Almost 450 people from the remote central Australian community of Hermannsburg, west of Alice Springs, have signed a petition accusing the Central Land Council (CLC) of blocking key development opportunities.

"This country is ours and we wish to control it ourselves without the Central Land Council," the petition says.

It calls for direct negotiation with the federal government over leasing and claims the CLC, which it describes as "one-sided and authoritarian", is blocking them from coming to an agreement.

But CLC director David Ross said there was widespread confusion surrounding the issue of 40-year leases and pressure put on Aboriginal people by governments.

"Both governments came to the last big community meeting and the people of Hermannsburg were still unclear about the lease proposal and unable to come to a decision," he said on Friday.

"It is the CLC's job to sit down and consult with people and we take that statutory obligation very seriously."

Mr Ross said the issue of leases was complicated and it was essential that communities came out with the best deal possible.

"It's not straightforward," he said.

"There's already five-year leases and now the options of housing leasing or whole of community leasing.

"The community needs to understand the different options and decide between them. These decisions can affect them for 40 years and we need to make sure they are understood."

Hermannsburg resident Mildred Inkamala told the ABC that many locals were tired of the protracted negotiations and would prefer to represent themselves.

"Community people are saying the Central Land Council is not being impartial and they want to be in the middle," she said.

"Sometimes they find it very hard with the CLC and the community people want housing."

But Mr Ross said there were other groups within the community who felt the CLC was moving too quickly.

"Other groups in the land council's region are accusing us of quite the opposite, of pushing the government's line on leasing and talking them into signing up," he said.