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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-15 Daily Xml
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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) (14:22): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I am pleased to advise that a limited review of the APY Land Rights Act 1981 commenced on 8 October 2013. The review will consider contemporary governance and accountability measures, the manner in which elections of members to the APY Executive take place, and opportunities to strengthen the economic development capacity and knowledge base of the APY Executive.

The review will be conducted in partnership with the APY Executive, Anangu traditional owners and other APY land stakeholders and will ensure both the relevance and longevity of this critical piece of Aboriginal land rights legislation. To achieve these objectives the review will be limited to specific consideration of the following five proposals:

1. Changing the voting structure for election to the APY Executive from community groups constituting electorates to a one vote, one value formal representation;

2. Enabling skill-based directors (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) to be co-opted to the APY Executive;

3. Introducing a 'fit and proper person' test to be applied to candidates or nominees who wish to stand for election to the APY Executive;

4. Introducing a requirement for gender balance on the APY Executive; and,

5. Establishing a commercial development advisory committee appointed by the minister, with the focus being on economic development on the APY lands.

A panel of four members have been appointed to conduct face-to-face consultations and provide expert advice and guidance with respect to the review and report on their findings.

The members of the panel are: the Hon. Dr Robyn Layton, AO QC, co-chair of Reconciliation SA Council; the Hon. John Hill, MP; Mr Harry Miller, Chief Executive, Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service; and, Ms April Lawrie-Smith, Executive Director, Aboriginal Health Division, SA Health. Dr Layton has been appointed to the role of panel chair.

A series of face-to-face community consultations have been planned to ensure the views of Anangu and traditional owners of the APY lands fully inform the outcomes of the review. Three rounds of consultation will be conducted during this period, the first round being 8 to 12 October 2013, the second round from 4 to 11 November 2013 and the third round from 15 to 20 November 2013. Face-to-face consultations will take place at Iwantja, Mimili, Kaltjitji, Pukatja, Amata, Pipalyatjara and Kanpi.

All residents of the APY lands are encouraged to attend at least one of these locations to participate in the consultations so that we can make decisions that are truly representative of all Anangu. An interpreter will be present at each of the community consultations. Where Anangu and other APY lands stakeholders cannot attend one of these sessions, they are able to make a written submission. Written submissions will be accepted from 8 October to 14 November 2013.

Further information regarding the review can be found online at www.aboriginalaffairs.sa.gov.au. I am pleased to be able to work with Anangu, the APY Executive and other key stakeholders on this important review. Together we can work to ensure the APY Act remains as relevant and as supportive of Aboriginal interests today as it was when this ground-breaking piece of legislation first commenced over three decades ago.

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