Ministerial Statement

ANANGU PITJANTJATJARA YANKUNYTJATJARA LAND RIGHTS ACT

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:19): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Earlier this year, I announced that there would be a narrow review of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981. This review was prompted by the need to provide more contemporary governance structures and accountability measures relating to the election and appointment of members to the executive board of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, and to strengthen its expert advisory capacity and knowledge base. A panel was appointed to assist in the review and to undertake consultation across the APY lands on matters pertaining to:

the voting structure for election to the APY Executive;

enabling skills-based directors to be co-opted to the APY Executive;

introducing a fit and proper person test for all potential members of the APY Executive;

achieving a gender balance on the APY Executive; and

establishing a commercial development advisory committee

The APY Executive indicated its support for the limited review.

Three consultation visits across the APY lands were undertaken in October and November 2013 and I am now in receipt of the panel's interim report. The panel's consultations revealed firm support for changing the way the APY Executive is elected and operates, so as to improve representation of all Anangu on the lands. Anangu clearly stated that they want the APY Executive to do things differently and would like to see changes to help achieve a better future for all Anangu. They want:

a new election system that not only has gender balance but also allows smaller communities to be represented;

all Anangu to have a right to vote;

strong men and women who can speak and act for all Anangu;

standards for candidates for election to the APY Executive;

ways to maintain these standards; and

ways to encourage and support younger men and women to stand for and become members of the APY Executive.

There was some support for the idea of a separate economic advisory committee but only limited support for the addition of two skills-based directors to the APY Executive. Consequently there are no recommendations made on these two proposals. The panel considers this may be considered further at a time when a new APY executive is elected.

Women, while clearly wanting gender balance, reinforced their respect for men who have sat on the APY Executive over the years and for the historical importance of their work since the act was passed in 1981. Women expressed a strong desire to work together with men for the future of all Anangu.

Due to the cultural and sorry business that occurred in the course of the consultation on the lands, the panel was unable to conclude the planned consultations in two communities. The government is supportive of the panel's recommendation that further consultation occur in those communities. An interim report will be handed to the APY Executive so that it may consider and assess the views expressed by Anangu in this review prior to the public release of the interim report.