Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-07-07 Daily Xml

Contents

NAIDOC Week

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Will the minister inform the council about tomorrow's NAIDOC family fun day?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:43): I certainly can inform the member about the NAIDOC Family Fun Day in responding to his very original question broaching a new subject, sir. As the council is aware, and as I have been talking about, this week is NAIDOC Week and many events have been held right around South Australia, as I have outlined. Each provide the community with a range of activities to participate in the spirit of NAIDOC Week.

The NAIDOC SA march and Family Fun Day are two of the biggest annual events on the NAIDOC calendar. Although the march I will be participating in tomorrow is based on Kaurna country here in Adelaide, there are many marches right across our state.

Both events in Adelaide tomorrow—the Family Fun Day and the march—are free events and provide another opportunity for the South Australian community to get together to celebrate Aboriginal heritage and culture and the contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have made, and continue to make, to our state and our nation.

The march begins at Tarntanyangga (Victoria Square) at 11am; however, if people are interested in attending I would encourage them very much to be there bright and early, perhaps around 10.30 or 10.45 for an 11am prompt start. The march will proceed down King William Street and finish on the steps of Parliament House, where there are usually informative, and occasionally feisty, speeches that occur as part of the NAIDOC celebrations.

This event has been immensely popular in previous years, with hundreds and possibly even thousands of people each year attending. I have been very fortunate, for most of the last decade at least, to attend the NAIDOC marches. It is a good opportunity to catch up with people and also to hear about things that are important to Aboriginal people in this state.

For those who are unable to attend the March but would still like to participate in events before the end of the week, the march will be followed by celebrations at the Family Fun Day back at Victoria Square from 11.30am to 3.30pm. In addition to many activities for children and young people, the Family Fun Day will have over 40 stallholders from government and non-government organisations, a men's zone, a women's zone, an elders' zone, a be active zone, a small business zone and a children's zone. There will be food stalls and plenty for families to enjoy while a free concert is on display. I would implore people to get around to it and get involved.