Editors --- "Update: Review of Western Lands Management; NAIDOC Award Winners 1998; Indigenous Constitutional Convention; Native Title Bill in WA; November Heritage Issue" [1998] IndigLawB 59; (1998) 4(14) Indigenous Law Bulletin 2

• Update
• Review Of Western Lands Management
• Naidoc Award Winners 1998
• Indigenous Constitutional Convention
• Native Title Bill In Wa
• November Heritage Issue
• Farewell To Carolyn Cerexhe

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Update

Review of Western Lands Management

The New South Wales Government is undertaking a review of the Western Lands Act 1901 (NSW) and is consulting interested parties to improve the economic, social and environmental conditions in the Western Division. Public meetings are being held throughout the southern Western Division in mid-September. In addition to the public meetings, written comments and inquiries can be directed to:

Western Lands Review, c/o- Department of Land and Water Conservation, GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001. Fax: [phone].

NAIDOC Award Winners 1998

Congratulations to Pat and Mick Dodson who were jointly named Aboriginal Persons of the Year by the National NAIDOC Committee.

Indigenous Constitutional Convention

In response to inadequacies in the Northern Territory Constitutional (Statehood) Convention held in Darwin earlier this year, an Indigenous Constitutional Convention will be held at Batchelor College, Batchelor, Northern Territory, from 5-9 October. It will be an opportunity to have a say in developing a modern constitution for the Northern Territory that recognises Aboriginal rights. A Combined Aboriginal Nations of Central Australia constitutional convention was held at Kalkaringi Aboriginal community in Central Australia on 17-20 August. The convention members issued the Kalkaringi Statement, setting out delegates' aspirations and concerns in relation to Statehood, constitutional development and governance. For full report, see the next issue of the ILB.

Contact: ATSIC State Office, Darwin, ph: [phone] or Renee Curtis and Katie Haire, Northern Land Council, ph: [phone].

Native Title Bill in WA

The word is that the Western Australian Government has already drafted a bill to implement the recently passed Native Title Amendment Act 1998 (Cth). Western Australia may attempt to pass the bill in the September sitting of Parliament.

Queensland is also moving quickly on legislation.

The incredible speed with which these governments are acting, without real consultation with indigenous people, is of great concern.

November Heritage Issue

ILB's November issue will focus on the theme of Aboriginal Heritage. Given current threats to Aboriginal Heritage posed by mining at Jabiluka and the Federal Government's proposed amendments to the Heritage Act (see articles in this edition), this issue of the ILB is likely to be very timely. The editors would be happy to discuss any suggestions for contributions on the Heritage theme.

Farewell to Carolyn Cerexhe

Carolyn is going on maternity leave from 21 August and her baby is due on 19 September. All at the Indigenous Law Bulletin and Indigenous Law Centre wish her well and thank her for her dedication, good humour and inspiration working on the Bulletin.

Natasha Case, Dale Harrison and Stephen Bennetts are taking over the reins and hope that they will be able to maintain the high standards set by Carolyn over the last two years.