Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Recent Happenings" [1996] AboriginalLawB 50; (1996) 3(82) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 10

• Recent Happenings
• 9 May
• 14 May
• 17 May
• 20 May
• 27 May
• 30 May
• 4 June
• 13 June
• 20 June
• 25 June

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Recent Happenings

9 May

The annual general meeting of RTZ-CRA in London, UK, saw demonstrations by human rights supporters from Australia, Colombia, Irian Jaya, PNG and the USA. Shareholders at the meeting heard concerns of local people to projects in Irian Jaya and Madagascar, but not Australia. Despite shareholder concerns, the Chairman, Sir Derek Birkin, closed the meeting after a motion to continue debating issues raised by human rights supporters was defeated.

14 May

The Anglican and Catholic churches in Perth apologised for their part in Separating Indigenous children from their parents. In submissions to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children From Their Families, both churches described their actions as well-intentioned, but resulting in tremendous Indigenous dislocation and trauma.

17 May

Residents of the Block in Redfern, Sydney, forced the Aboriginal Housing Company, which manages properties in the area, to abandon its plans to raze the site and evict families. There are still plans to build an Indigenous cultural and business centre at the Block, but residents who wish to remain will be able to do so.

20 May

The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia presented survey evidence to the HREOC inquiry into the removal of Indigenous children by the state (see above) concerning the experiences of 483 of its clients who had been separated from their families. Over half stated they had been physically abused in the missions, institutions and homes into which they were placed, and 13.3% had been sexually abused. The survey also showed the further effects of removal in increased instances of substance abuse, suicidal tendencies, physical and mental ill-health, and difficulties forming intimate relationships.

27 May

Mayor Tony Mooney of the Townsville City Council defended a new by-law, Local Law 51, which allows Council officers to move on people consuming alcohol in public, and to confiscate their drinks. The by-law was criticised by HREOC Social Justice Commissioner, Mr Mick Dodson, as going against the recommendations by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody on the decriminalisation of public drunkenness.

30 May

Ngarrindjeri people appearing at the inquiry being conducted by Justice Jane Mathews into their heritage protection applications, which sought to prevent the building of a bridge between Goolwa and Kumarangk (Hindmarsh Island) in South Australia, indicated they would seek to withdraw all material supporting their claim. On 29 May, Mathews J said as the result of Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs v Western Australia, decided on 28 May (see page 12), the confidentiality of information provided to her by Ngarrindjeri witnesses could no longer be maintained. It was also revealed that in January 1996 Dr Doreen Kartinyeri destroyed the enveloped containing women’s business materials at the heart of the Kumarangk affair.

4 June

An application to wind up the Brisbane Aboriginal Legal Service was lodged in the High Court in Melbourne by the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations.

13 June

Sir Ronald Wilson announced that the inquiry into the removal of Indigenous children from their families (see above) would not be taking evidence from Queensland individuals, unlike the previous practice in the other States. It was the failure of the Queensland Government to make a financial commitment to investigations in that State which prevented more extensive investigations from taking place.

20 June

The NSW Corrective Services Minister, Mr Bob Debus, announced a program to commence from January 1997, whereby persons convicted of minor crimes carrying less than 18 months’ gaol will serve their sentences at home. The program is to be directed especially at Indigenous people, women and children, and people with physical or mental disabilities. Mr Debus commented ‘If [offenders] could serve their sentence by way of home detention, the enormous damage to their innocent families could be avoided.’

25 June

The National Native Title Tribunal has given the go-ahead to the Western Australian Government to issue mining leases under the procedures of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). These leases will be the first to be issued under NTA procedures.