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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (6 June) . . Page.. 2088 ..

Mr Stanhope: The answers to the member's questions are as follows:

I have obtained a copy of the registration of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy from the Australian Heritage Commission and am happy to provide you with copies for reference.

The registration states the significance of the Tent Embassy stressing that it is the focus for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's political struggle for land rights, sovereignty, autonomy, equality and self government. It points out that:

the site is significant in the history of Aboriginal political culture;

it is the only Aboriginal site in Australia that is recognised nationally as a site representing the political struggle for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;

it is significant for the local Aboriginal community because it was used in the past as a meeting and gathering ground;

it represents the history of the interaction between the indigenous and nonindigenous peoples of Australia; and

it is a national meeting ground for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People from many different communities.

The registration also mentions the location, boundaries and description of the tent embassy site. I will provide you with a copy of a map of the site and the criteria upon which the tent embassy was judged against.

There are no specific conditions upon the tent embassy site, as the registration states:

it is a dynamic site which is continually evolving and changing to cater to the needs of the Aboriginal people who visit and who live there.

ActewAGL advises that electricity on the site is currently sourced from cubicles installed to supply carnivals, outdoor events and other activities. The National Capital Authority owns these cubicles.

ActewAGL has not approved or constructed any special water connection to the embassy. It is understood that the camp has access to some taps located around the reflection pool and the camp. There are no metered standpipes hired to the embassy. The site does not have sanitary drains connected to the actual network. It is understood that the embassy uses loos.

ActewAGL confirms that there are no water or electricity accounts associated with the embassy.

The National Capital Authority owns the electricity and water installations on the site. The Authority pays all relevant accounts.

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