The Federal and Northern Territory Governments have strongly promoted private home ownership on Aboriginal land.

But for a member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council, who has been trying to own his own home in a small community in Arnhem Land, the rhetoric has not been matched by the reality.

Djambawa Marawili's attempts to build and own his own home in his remote homeland of Baniyala in north-east Arnhem Land, 900 kilometres from Darwin, have been frustrated by bureaucracy and high costs imposed by the Northern Territory Government.

"He [the Prime Minister] needs to really make it real, make it a reality for the people who really want to do something here on our country," he said.

In a statement the Northern Territory Government acknowledged the problem and said it was considering amending the Planning Act to reduce hurdles for development on homelands.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will travel to North Queensland to run the country from the Torres Strait Islands and the Cape York region as part of his pledge to spend time each year in a remote Indigenous community.

Last year, Mr Abbott visited north-east Arnhem Land where he heard from traditional owners who want economic development and home ownership on Indigenous land — ideas supported by governments in both Darwin and Canberra.

But almost a year on from that trip, even Mr Marawili, a member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council and a man with the ear of the PM, has struggled to realise those goals.

"I want to talk to him [the Prime Minister] about this leasing now," Mr Marawili said.

"I think it is time for me to start to open my mouth again now. I was really quiet with him and now it's time for me to press myself again and stand up and do something about my homeland and my community."

Marawili unable to act on approved lease

Mr Marawili gained approval from the NLC for a 99-year lease over a block of land in Baniyala in 2014. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

Governments have reduced their spending on homelands and Mr Marawili wanted to build his family a better house that he could own and hand over to his children.

In May last year, he overcame his first hurdle to private home ownership on his land by gaining Northern Land Council (NLC) approval for a 99-year lease over a block of land in Baniyala.

In 2012 his lease application was supported by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion, who was then in Opposition.

Senator Scullion presented a petition to parliament on behalf of the Baniyala leaders urging the NLC to give the go-ahead for the lease.

But more than a year after the lease was approved, Djambawa Marawili has not been able to act on it.

Instead, he has been frustrated by bureaucracy because the lease has triggered the Northern Territory Planning Act.

"I want to see something built now, someone should really support us now how to develop," Mr Marawili said.

Government policy 'disconnected from reality': NLC

The NT Government says it is considering amending the Planning Act to reduce the red tape for development on homelands. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

In homelands like Baniyala, which has 160 residents, any leases over 12 years are treated as subdivisions, meaning a survey and approval from planning bodies are required.

However, few remote communities have been surveyed — a problem highlighted as far back as the federal intervention in the Northern Territory in 2007.

The Sydney-based Indigenous Community Benevolent Fund, which supports Baniyala, has already spent more than $30,000 on a survey of the homeland.

But Baniyala was also unzoned, like most small NT communities, meaning Mr Marawili had to clear other hurdles such as reports on storm water management and land use suitability, requiring experts to be flown in from Darwin.

The Northern Land Council estimated the costs could have reached $100,000.

"There is an obvious issue here that [governments] are promoting something disconnected from reality," the chief executive of the Northern Land Council Joe Morrison said.

Under the Aboriginal Land Rights [Northern Territory] Act, 99-year Township leases in larger indigenous communities have exemptions from the NT Planning Act.

Mr Morrison said the Territory's planning laws made private home ownership on homelands and smaller communities very difficult.

"The [planning] requirements are good for the major urban centres of the territory, but when you try and apply that stick to places like Djambawa's outstation ,well obviously there's a serious disconnect there and there's a serious question there for policy makers to think about," Mr Morrison said.

In a statement the Northern Territory Government said the Planning Minister Dave Tollner was considering amending the Planning Act to reduce the red tape for development on homelands.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion said Senator Scullion had spoken to Mr Tollner and was confident the matter would be resolved very shortly.