❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs' response to resolutions from the Yule River bush meeting, specifically concerning heritage site deregistration and the Department's processes. The Minister defends his absence and the Department's actions.
AnsweredQoN 1089Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ACT — HERITAGE SITES — YULE RIVER
BUSH MEETING
1089. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Minister
for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the first six of 10
resolutions passed at this year's Yule River bush meeting, which can be
found on my website.
(1) How will the minister respond to
resolution 1?
(2) Will there be
a full independent public inquiry into the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and
the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee on the deregistration of heritage
sites?
(3) If no to (2),
why not?
(4) Will the minister respond to any
of the above resolutions?
BUSH MEETING
1089. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Minister
for Aboriginal Affairs:
I refer to the first six of 10
resolutions passed at this year's Yule River bush meeting, which can be
found on my website.
(1) How will the minister respond to
resolution 1?
(2) Will there be
a full independent public inquiry into the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and
the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee on the deregistration of heritage
sites?
(3) If no to (2),
why not?
(4) Will the minister respond to any
of the above resolutions?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of his question. I just have to log on to his website!
Hon Robin Chapple : I'm sorry. I don't have a paper
copy.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I thought I was pretty good; don't
you reckon?
Hon Robin Chapple : I wasn't looking at my
website at the time; I point that out.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I know, but no-one can see what the
resolutions are because they are on the member's website. Ultimately,
when the member's website ceases to exist, they will not know what the
resolutions were. That is the whole point of not referring members to websites.
That is just for future reference. There we go.
Several members interjected.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I do not refer to websites ever—never,
ever. Members can check on
that, but I have never referred anyone to a website. I have to say that the
answer to the first part of the question is disappointing.
(1) I respect the
traditional owners' view that they were disappointed I was not able to
attend the Yule River meeting due to my attendance at a ministerial Education
Council meeting in Adelaide. As I have said, I made it quite clear to the
traditional owners that I had to go to Adelaide for the ministerial council
meeting. We are talking about a new national partnership for education. Every
other education minister was there; I had to go. Likewise, last year, I was on
a plane going to China, taking the vice‑chancellors. It is not like I said
I could not go because I had to wash the cat or something; I could not go for
some legitimate reasons.
In
addition, I tell the honourable member that I have met with the traditional
owners to talk about heritage issues. I will go to the opening of a car door,
and particularly with traditional owners over heritage. Whenever they want to
meet with me, they will always find an open door. I will respond via
correspondence and ask them yet again whether they would like to meet me on any
occasion. I will meet with them. But I could not in all conscience have not
gone to the ministerial council meeting in Adelaide. Similarly, last year, I could
not have changed the arrangements and flown to China at a different time when
the arrangements had already been made months in advance. As to the Yule River
meeting arrangements, we were invited a month or so before. The honourable
member may or may not know, but as a minister, I get invited to these things
months in advance. I will more than willingly meet with the traditional owners,
as I have done and will continue to do. Yes, I will write to them to explain
that .
(2) No.
(3) A full
independent inquiry is not necessary. Processes adopted by the Department of
Aboriginal Affairs and the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee have been
recently scrutinised during matters brought before Justice Chaney and Justice
Pritchard. With regard to the matter before Justice Chaney, the department and
the committee have readily accepted Justice Chaney's findings and
incorporated these into the decision-making processes. Justice Pritchard's
findings are an endorsement of the current procedural fairness process being
administered by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, which has increased the
Aboriginal voice in decision-making associated with the Aboriginal Heritage Act
1972.
(4) Yes.
To conclude on (1), in addition,
this year Hon Terry Redman represented the government at the meeting, along
with several members of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, including the
chief heritage officer from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Last year,
Hon Terry Redman and Hon Helen Morton attended that Yule River meeting, so
government has certainly been well represented. It has not been as a result of
a lack of endeavour on my part or a lack of interest; it is just that the
circumstances prevented me from attending.
some notice of his question. I just have to log on to his website!
Hon Robin Chapple : I'm sorry. I don't have a paper
copy.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I thought I was pretty good; don't
you reckon?
Hon Robin Chapple : I wasn't looking at my
website at the time; I point that out.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I know, but no-one can see what the
resolutions are because they are on the member's website. Ultimately,
when the member's website ceases to exist, they will not know what the
resolutions were. That is the whole point of not referring members to websites.
That is just for future reference. There we go.
Several members interjected.
Hon PETER COLLIER : I do not refer to websites ever—never,
ever. Members can check on
that, but I have never referred anyone to a website. I have to say that the
answer to the first part of the question is disappointing.
(1) I respect the
traditional owners' view that they were disappointed I was not able to
attend the Yule River meeting due to my attendance at a ministerial Education
Council meeting in Adelaide. As I have said, I made it quite clear to the
traditional owners that I had to go to Adelaide for the ministerial council
meeting. We are talking about a new national partnership for education. Every
other education minister was there; I had to go. Likewise, last year, I was on
a plane going to China, taking the vice‑chancellors. It is not like I said
I could not go because I had to wash the cat or something; I could not go for
some legitimate reasons.
In
addition, I tell the honourable member that I have met with the traditional
owners to talk about heritage issues. I will go to the opening of a car door,
and particularly with traditional owners over heritage. Whenever they want to
meet with me, they will always find an open door. I will respond via
correspondence and ask them yet again whether they would like to meet me on any
occasion. I will meet with them. But I could not in all conscience have not
gone to the ministerial council meeting in Adelaide. Similarly, last year, I could
not have changed the arrangements and flown to China at a different time when
the arrangements had already been made months in advance. As to the Yule River
meeting arrangements, we were invited a month or so before. The honourable
member may or may not know, but as a minister, I get invited to these things
months in advance. I will more than willingly meet with the traditional owners,
as I have done and will continue to do. Yes, I will write to them to explain
that .
(2) No.
(3) A full
independent inquiry is not necessary. Processes adopted by the Department of
Aboriginal Affairs and the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee have been
recently scrutinised during matters brought before Justice Chaney and Justice
Pritchard. With regard to the matter before Justice Chaney, the department and
the committee have readily accepted Justice Chaney's findings and
incorporated these into the decision-making processes. Justice Pritchard's
findings are an endorsement of the current procedural fairness process being
administered by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, which has increased the
Aboriginal voice in decision-making associated with the Aboriginal Heritage Act
1972.
(4) Yes.
To conclude on (1), in addition,
this year Hon Terry Redman represented the government at the meeting, along
with several members of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, including the
chief heritage officer from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Last year,
Hon Terry Redman and Hon Helen Morton attended that Yule River meeting, so
government has certainly been well represented. It has not been as a result of
a lack of endeavour on my part or a lack of interest; it is just that the
circumstances prevented me from attending.
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