EMPOWERMENT OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES ANDTORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS

Implementation Report 1993-94

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (3.38): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present Empowerment of Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders in the ACT, which is the Government's implementation report 1993-94 on Aboriginal deaths in custody. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to be able to table in the Legislative Assembly today the 1993-94 ACT Government report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. I fully support the bipartisan approach the Legislative Assembly has adopted towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues in the ACT and I trust that it will continue with this approach. It is important that all parties work together to redress the disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders in the Territory and in Australia generally.

Today, I would like to acknowledge the progress made under the previous Government in this area. There has been a lot of work done towards improving the economic, social and political conditions of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders in the ACT. This has been achieved by implementing many of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and these are outlined in the 1993-94 implementation report. I want to emphasise that this Government intends to carry on and further progress the implementation of the royal commission's recommendations.

This Government is currently seeking nominations for the second ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Council. The Canberra Times of Saturday, 29 April 1995, carried this advertisement and so will the community newspapers, including the Koori Mail. One of the important roles of this council will be to continue monitoring the Government's implementation of the royal commission's recommendations. This work is critical to the effective implementation of the recommendations.

The Government will continue to support the important work of Winnunga Nimmityjah, the Aboriginal Health Service. This service is used by most members of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. I am particularly pleased that the Acton Peninsula-Kingston foreshore land swap with the Commonwealth gives a green light for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre to go ahead on Acton Peninsula. I believe that it is the right and sensible location. The previous advisory council consulted widely with local indigenous communities and the Acton Peninsula site was the preferred location. The Commonwealth intends to build the Gallery of Aboriginal Australia on Acton Peninsula and to co-locate the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies with the gallery. This grouping of complementary facilities

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .