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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-02-09 Daily Xml
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Aboriginal Land Rights

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (16:12): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Minister, will you inform the Legislative Council how the state government continues to recognise Aboriginal South Australians as native title holders in areas of our state?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (16:13): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in these matters. I am very proud to stand up in this place and update members about some of the historic events that took place just prior to Christmas, on 16 December last year. In the very far north-east of the state, about 15 kilometres from Innamincka, Aboriginal people from all over the country met on the waters of the Cullyamurra Waterhole on Cooper Creek on a very warm morning to witness an achievement that was literally decades in the making.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka peoples for their warm welcome to all the visitors to that country. The Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka peoples have been engaged in native title processes for more than 20 years, establishing their connection to their lands and waters of some 40,000 square kilometres, almost right up to the South Australian/Queensland border.

On the banks of that waterhole, and under a marquee supplied by Santos, hundreds of people sat through a special sitting of the Federal Court. At that bush sitting of the court, the native title application lodged by the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka peoples in 1998 was finally decided. Federal Court Justice John Mansfield held that the 40,000 square kilometres of lands and waters around Coongie Lakes National Park, Innamincka Regional Reserve and the Strzelecki Regional Reserve were part of the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka peoples native title claim and awarded native title.

There were some very emotional speakers at the Federal Court sitting, including South Australian Native Title Services, who spoke about the importance of the recognition for the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka people, and others might know it as the YY native title claim. There was roaring applause from the crowd after each representative from the interested parties, including the Crown and pastoral and mining lease holders in the area, and Justice Mansfield himself noted the decision was really recognition of what everybody there already knew: it always had been and always will be Aboriginal land.

Following the formalities of the Federal Court decision, Ms Theresa Bottrell and Anita Paterson delivered powerful speeches to a mass of people shedding many happy tears for the moment that they, their parents and many of their ancestors had long been waiting for. It was a privilege as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to provide a short speech to those who were gathered by the Cooper Creek.

As I said in attendance on the day, it was an honour to participate and to be part of what was quite a special ceremony for many people. It was the culmination of hard work and dedication, particularly on behalf of many of the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka Traditional Land Owners (Aboriginal Corporation) members who were there that day. For well over a decade —and, in some cases, many years more—since 1998, they have worked very hard and waited a long time for this decision to be delivered, and I commend their commitment and determination.

Where someone fits in, where they have come from, and their land, is so important to the identity of so many people in Australia and it is absolutely important to Aboriginal people. This native title determination was a very important step in that recognition. I commend all of those who have worked so long, so diligently and so patiently in the years leading up to the determination.

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