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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-08-29 Daily Xml
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President's NAIDOC Awards

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:16): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Will the minister inform the council about the recently announced female winner of the President's NAIDOC Award.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his question. As I informed the chamber just earlier today, it was a great privilege to attend an event at the Marion Living Kaurna Cultural Centre during NAIDOC Week, and it's always a pleasure to attend events right around South Australia during NAIDOC Week as the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs currently and previously as the shadow minister for Aboriginal affairs.

I had the great privilege of attending events in a number of places during this year's NAIDOC Week, including in Port Augusta, including in the great City of Whyalla, and including Point Pearce on the Yorke Peninsula during this year's NAIDOC Week, as well as events throughout Adelaide. As I said, it was a very fitting theme for this year's NAIDOC Week: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.

One of the centrepieces of each NAIDOC Week is the SA NAIDOC Awards luncheon. That incorporates a number of awards that are given in relation to outstanding achievement by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in South Australia. The Premier's NAIDOC Awards, as well as the Lord Mayor's NAIDOC Awards and other NAIDOC awards, in the last few years have been presented together in a very big ceremony that has typically happened and happened this year at Town Hall.

It was an honour this year to represent the Premier and present the Premier's NAIDOC Awards to the female and male winners. I am very pleased to be able to inform the chamber of the worthy winners of the NAIDOC Awards. I would like to share a little bit about this year's outstanding female winner of the Premier's NAIDOC Award, Ms Sandy Miller.

Ms Miller has dedicated her career to critical roles in the Public Service, in the spheres of Aboriginal health, child protection, social work and native title services, to mention just a few. After studying social work, Sandy worked for the department for community welfare for 20 years, first in the Ceduna office before moving to a policy and leadership role in Adelaide. She developed key programs that sought to support self-determination for Aboriginal children and families.

After a career with the department and leaving the public sector, Sandy's public service continued, serving on several boards and representing South Australia on the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance, as well as appearing at the United Nations. Sandy currently serves on the Women's and Children's Health Network governing board, as well as being an executive member of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement, the Indigenous People's Organisation, the Human Rights Commission and on the Community Leadership Reference Committee on Child Protection.

Most recently, Sandy has been pivotal in establishing the peak body for Aboriginal children and families. In recognition of her life's work, Sandy was South Australia's Senior Australian of the Year nominee in 2023. It was an honour to present Sandy with this year's Premier's NAIDOC Award, and I express my sincere thanks for her ongoing monumental contribution to the wellbeing of Aboriginal people, particularly Aboriginal children, in the state of South Australia.

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