MICHAEL DALEY & LABOR Labor’s plan to empower Aboriginal people and communities www.nswlabor.org.au Labor’s plan Labor will develop a Labor believes the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio should be located within the pathway to negotiate a Department of Premier and Cabinet. This will allow the NSW Government Treaty or Treaties with to address issues affecting Aboriginal the First Peoples of NSW people and communities across NSW, including: Labor will undertake community consultation to develop a pathway for • Opportunities for job creation and the negotiation of a Treaty or Treaties Aboriginal-owned small businesses; with the First Peoples of NSW. • Participation in decision-making The negotiation of a treaty will be a processes; complex process. • Access to health services; Labor believes this process must bring all members of the community together • Interactions with the justice system; to advance the cause of reconciliation. • Environmental management; and Labor will establish a Premier’s Taskforce to begin consultations with the • The protection and promotion of community to develop the pathway to Aboriginal culture and heritage. negotiate a Treaty or Treaties. Moving the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio will: Labor will move • Allow the NSW Government to take Aboriginal Affairs to the a whole-of-government approach to heart of Government issues relevant to Aboriginal people and communities; and Labor will move the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio to the Department of Premier • Provide a central point of and Cabinet. coordination for initiatives such as the development of a pathway for The Liberals and Nationals moved negotiation of a Treaty or Treaties Aboriginal Affairs to the Department of with the First Peoples of NSW. Education in 2015. 2 Labor will invest Labor will invest $4 million to support the $4 million to support the NSW Aboriginal Education Girls Academy program Consultative Group Labor will invest $4 million over four years to support the Girls Academy Labor will invest $4 million over four program. years to support the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. The Girls Academy program is an initiative of Role Models and Leaders The NSW Aboriginal Education Australia. The program empowers Consultative Group is a not-for-profit Aboriginal girls through: Aboriginal organisation which provides advice and services relevant to education • Leadership training; and training. • Mentoring; The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group has a grassroots, • Sport; and community-based structure which includes 20 regional and 147 local groups • Extra-curricular programs. located across NSW. There are currently Girls Academies The NSW Aboriginal Education located across NSW in areas including Consultative Group’s programs include: Tamworth, the Hunter, Kemspey and the Central West.1 • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Camps In 2018, the Liberals and Nationals for Aboriginal students; announced $4 million in funding for the Clontarf Foundation, an organisation • Programs which connect Aboriginal which provides education and life skills students with their language and programs to Aboriginal boys.2 culture; and However, the Liberals and Nationals • Programs which help people make neglected to provide any funding for an informed choices about their health equivalent program to benefit Aboriginal and nutrition. girls. Labor’s investment of $4 million will Labor will rectify the Liberals and allow the NSW Aboriginal Education Nationals’ neglect of Aboriginal girls Consultative Group to: by providing $4 million for the Girls Academy program. • Expand their programs; and • Provide further advice on matters relating to Aboriginal education and training in NSW. 3 Labor will invest $5 million to support Cultural Burning For thousands of years, Aboriginal • Maintaining traditional knowledge people successfully used fire to control and culture; the land. • Creating jobs for Aboriginal people; The use of fire by Aboriginal people and to manage the land is now known as Cultural Burning. • Connecting young Aboriginal people with their heritage. Cultural Burning delivers benefits for Aboriginal people and the wider Labor will invest $5 million over four community. These benefits include: years to support Cultural Burning initiatives. These funds will be allocated • Allowing Aboriginal people to to Local Aboriginal Land Councils exercise control over the land; through competitive tenders. • Reducing the risk of harm to the Labor will direct the Rural Fire Service, community from bushfires; National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW to work with Local • Improving the health of the Aboriginal Land Councils to develop environment; long-term plans for Cultural Burning initiatives. Indigenous fire methods protect land before and after the Tathra bushfire When you find a cheap pair of fashionable shoes The title to the land was transferred in 2016, 17 there is a sense On a hot, dry day in March 2018, years after it was granted to the Bega LALC under 20 separate wildfires ignited across the Bega the Aboriginal Land Rights Act process. Valley in New South Wales. In 2017, the Bega LALC began a cultural burning One fire that began at Reedy Swamp north of the program as part of the management strategy for town of Bega tore through close to 1,000 hectares their landholdings. before reaching the beachside township of Tathra. With training and support from the Far South Six months on, a forest of bare, blackened trees Coast Rural Fire Service (RFS) and local RFS frames the town, where more than 100 homes volunteers, the cultural burn crew prepared and were destroyed or damaged. burnt 3.5 hectares of land at Tathra West using methods informed by traditional knowledge. But on a small patch of bushland on the south- western edge of Tathra, a patch of green shows Six months on from the 2018 wildfire, the land where the fire came to a halt. where cultural burns were undertaken in 2017 is sprouting with native grasses, in stark contrast to The land is part of 71 hectares owned by the Bega the scorched trees and dense bracken that mark the Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) at Tathra surrounding landscape. West. ABC South East NSW, 18 September 2018 4 Labor will deliver an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act to protect and promote Aboriginal cultural heritage NSW is the only state in Australia A reform process to develop dedicated without standalone legislation to protect legislation for Aboriginal cultural heritage Aboriginal cultural heritage. in NSW has been underway since 2011, however the Liberals and Nationals have The current laws of NSW are outdated, never introduced a Bill to Parliament. with Aboriginal cultural heritage dealt with under laws designed to protect Aboriginal places of deep significance flora and fauna. such as the Butterfly Cave, a sacred women’s place at West Wallsend, are Aboriginal cultural heritage requires under threat due to the Liberals and dedicated legislation. Where the Nationals’ approach to Aboriginal Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) is primarily cultural heritage. concerned with protecting buildings and preserving historic sites, Aboriginal heritage is formed by a living culture that includes people, places, languages and the environment. 5 Labor will empower Labor will invest Aboriginal communities $100,000 for the Arakwal to play a greater role Cultural Centre in managing National Parks Byron Bay Labor will empower Aboriginal Labor will invest $100,000 for the long communities to play a greater role awaited masterplan for an Arakwal managing National Parks across NSW. Cultural Centre in Byron Bay. Labor will work with local Aboriginal The Arakwal Cultural Centre will: communities to identify opportunities for Aboriginal people to be involved in • Celebrate and promote the culture of activities including: the Arakwal people; • Environmental management; • Create local jobs; and • Heritage and conservation works; and • Help local residents and tourists to learn and experience the traditions of • Education and support for visitors. the Arakwal people. 6 Labor will appoint an Aboriginal Child and Family Advocate Labor will appoint an Aboriginal Child Labor will invest $2 million over four and Family Advocate. years to deliver this commitment. The Aboriginal Child and Family The Liberals and Nationals have ruled out Advocate will be an advocate for the introducing a dedicated Aboriginal Child interests of Aboriginal children and and Family Advocate.3 families. Labor believes a dedicated Aboriginal The Aboriginal Child and Family Child and Family Advocate is necessary Advocate will be modelled on the to: existing Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People. • Ensure Aboriginal children and families receive attention and are not The Aboriginal Child and Family ignored; and Advocate will hold an independent statutory office and will be assisted by • Effectively address the unique issues dedicated staff. Aboriginal children and families face, including: The Aboriginal Child and Family Advocate will: o Access to services in rural and remote locations; and • Make recommendations to Parliament, government agencies o The legacy of mistreatment of and non-government organisations Aboriginal children and families in relation to legislation, policies, by government and non- practices and services which affect government organisations. Aboriginal children and families; • Promote Aboriginal children and families’ participation in decision- making processes which affect them; • Conduct research into issues which