Land Rights Act Debate Gagged

Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australian and Indigenous Affairs said today's Bill to amend the Land Rights Act was a short cut to disaster.

Mr Snowdon said Goverment had gagged debate on the Bill to amend the Act in an unprecedented move to rush the legislation through Parliament.

'They have shown Parliament the same unwillingness to negotiate appropriate amendments as they did to Traditional Owners,' he said.

'The only positives in this exercise are the amendments to Part IV of the Act, which will streamline the way mining proposals are dealt with.

'Significantly, the Territory Government and the Central and Northern Land Councils negotiated a consensus on these particular amendments and made a joint submission to the Commonwealth Government.

'It's unfortunate that the Territory Government didn't apply the same thoughtful and constructive process to totally unnecessary proposals for leasing Aboriginal land in townships.

'The Commonwealth Government is already running with this ahead of the amendments and is demanding lease arrangements as a requirement for supplying basic services like education, housing and police.

'The amendments to allow the creation of smaller land councils and the delegation by the Minister of Land Council powers are nothing short of a recipe for disaster.

'Once again they ignore the position expressed by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs:

The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 ('the Act') not be amended without traditional Aboriginal owners in the Northern Territory first:

- understanding the nature and purpose of any amendments and as a group giving
- their consent; and any Aboriginal communities or groups that may be affected having been consulted and given adequate opportunity to express their views.

'Labor has no problems with people owning their own homes on Aboriginal land, but that's not what this Bill is about – it's about undermining the integrity of the Land Rights Act and that's a recipe for disaster,' Mr Snowdon said.

2006-06-19