Parliamentary Committees

Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee: Report 2020-21

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (17:33): I move:

That the 2020-21 annual report of the committee be noted.

The Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee's functions include reviewing the operations of the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013, the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984 and the APY Land Rights Act 1981. The committee can also inquire into matters affecting the interests of the traditional owners of the lands and the manner in which the lands are being managed, used and controlled. Other functions include inquiring into matters concerning the health, housing, education, economic development, employment or training of Aboriginal people, or any other matter concerning the welfare of Aboriginal people.

The committee discharges its functions in part by visiting Aboriginal lands and Aboriginal communities while maintaining strong relationships with the Aboriginal landholding statutory authorities and by inviting representatives from those statutory authorities to appear before the committee to give evidence. During the 2020-21 year, the committee endeavoured to travel to various locations. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic limited the committee's ability to travel to remote Aboriginal communities. The committee did travel to Port Augusta and Davenport in October 2020 and to Ceduna and surrounding communities in March 2021.

Whilst in Port Augusta, the committee met with the Port Augusta City Council working group, the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement and discussed client staffing issues with Common Ground Port Augusta. The committee was also taken on a tour of the Davenport community with local community representatives.

On its visit to the Yalata community in March 2021, the committee met with various groups in relation to housing issues and also visited the Yalata Anangu School. Similarly, the committee also visited the Koonibba Aboriginal School. The 2020-2021 year saw the committee tasked with three active inquiries. The Aboriginal housing inquiry continued on from the previous reporting period, where the committee continued to receive oral evidence from stakeholders.

The committee was also requested to undertake an inquiry into governance standards in Aboriginal community-controlled organisations by the Premier in February 2021. As at 30 June 2021, the committee received written submissions from 40 interested stakeholders and received oral evidence on six occasions. The committee tabled an interim report on this inquiry on 26 October 2021.

On 15 February 2021, the committee also resolved to inquire into Aboriginal heritage issues. As at 30 June 2021, the committee had received 32 written submissions. The committee has only recently commenced receiving oral evidence in this inquiry, with the bulk of the evidence to be received in the next parliament.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all stakeholders who spoke with the committee on its regional visits and those who provided evidence in our three inquiries, especially those who travelled to Adelaide to speak with us. I thank the current members of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee: the Hon. Kyam Maher, the Hon. Tammy Franks, the member for Hammond, the member for Giles and the member for Davenport. I would also like to give special thanks to the committee staff for their assistance, in particular Ms Lisa Baxter, who does an outstanding job. I commend the report to the council.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.