Aboriginal Lands Trust

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs a question about the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT).

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: The ALT is looking for its fourth chief executive in less than two years. In a job advertisement, the ALT says it is seeking, and I quote:

…a passionate and committed leader with well-developed interpersonal communication, negotiation and dispute-resolution skills, who is dedicated to appropriately and effectively managing an organisation embedded in a complex, sensitive and diverse area encompassing a broad spectrum of Aboriginal needs.

Further, it is seeking someone with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 2013, and the Aboriginal Lands Trust Regulations 2014, presumably to ensure appropriate governance, compliance and implementation.

Like the dubious selection process that has played out with the search for a new general manager for the APY Lands, there are serious concerns from sections of the Aboriginal community that the probity of this selection process may be compromised without proper oversight. My questions to the minister are:

1. What has happened to the current chief executive, the ALT's fourth chief executive in two years? Did they resign, were they sacked, or didn't they have their contract renewed?

2. Why were the appointments so short lived of the two successors who replaced the highly respected former ALT chief executive John Chester, whose contract wasn't renewed in 2022, after more than five years in the role, without a reason being given and despite him wanting to stay on?

3. Were both or either of their removals in any way connected with the administrator's investigation into the Davenport community, which is alleged to have found evidence of misappropriation, fraud or other criminal activity?

4. Can you confirm those positions were not advertised at the time, the reasons why not, and who approved those appointments?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his question. I assume, in his question, when he said, 'Were those positions advertised,' he means previous chief executives of the Aboriginal Lands Trust. I assume that's what he is referring to.

The Hon. F. Pangallo: Yes.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to some of the commentary around investigations in relation to Davenport and criminal activity, as I have said before, I am certainly not aware of any of that. If the honourable member is aware of criminal activity, I sincerely hope that has been reported to the proper authorities.

I am aware that there is a recruitment process underway for the Chief Executive of the Aboriginal Lands Trust. I understand that the previous Chief Executive of the Aboriginal Lands Trust moved on from that position to take up different opportunities. The Aboriginal Lands Trust is an important part of the machinery of Aboriginal affairs in South Australia, created in 1966 under Minister for Aboriginal Affairs at the time, Don Dunstan. It was the first Aboriginal land rights legislation anywhere in the country.

Just shy of 60 years on, it remains a very important part of landholdings for Aboriginal South Australians. Many of the almost, I think it's about, half a million hectares under the care and control of the Aboriginal Lands Trust are former missions, such as the Point McLeay mission, now known as Raukkan; Point Pearce on the Yorke Peninsula; Davenport, just outside of Port Augusta; Gerard in the Riverland; Umoona, which I was at only in the last few days, just outside Coober Pedy; and parts of Yalata on the Far West Coast. These are all examples of ALT land that have had former missions on them and, quite understandably, have a very close connection to generations of Aboriginal people.

As well as being important, it is often a difficult area of public administration in Aboriginal affairs. Some of the internal politics make Labor factional politics look easy to navigate. I do acknowledge that people do, a lot of the time, exceptional work in what are often very difficult situations. I think anyone who was part of the former Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee, when a review was undertaken of the Aboriginal Lands Trust previously, would have understood very intricately just how difficult this area of public administration is, particularly given the passion that many people have for the land that is under the administration of the ALT.

The ALT is a statutory authority that has its own board. The board make the decisions about the employment of the chief executive. I haven't seen the advertisement that the honourable member refers to, but that would seem like an appropriate way to do a recruitment process, to advertise for a new chief executive.