Lake Bonney

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:12): A supplementary, sir. I think the minister has given me enough to ask that now that the dual name put forward for the lake for further public consultation is essentially that of the surrounding town and region, will the minister concede the original goal to give the lake a dual Indigenous name is now lost and perhaps the overall process has been pointless?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:13): I will not concede such a thing. Dual naming is an exercise where the community, particularly in relation to native title determinations, for example, pays respect to the heritage of the First Peoples of this country and this state. Dual naming is a very important part of this covenant we enter into particularly, again, around native title determinations and native title claimants. Aboriginal communities take great comfort from the fact that local communities, particularly in rural and regional areas, want to embrace the heritage and the history of their local area by including native names for local landmarks as a dual naming prospect. It is also, I understand, a particularly good way of targeting international tourists as well but, putting that aside, I think it shows great respect.

Whilst the process might have been drawn out on this particular occasion and has obviously drawn different points of view on the title (Barmerara might get some people a little bit upset), that is not something for us to determine, it is not something for parliament to determine, it is for the local communities to determine, and I never think it is a waste of time to take local communities into our confidence and have adequate and responsible consultation with them. That is what the process was all about; that is what the process will be into the future.