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Balgi, Teena; Biaggini, Diane; Neville, Alison; Watson, Petra --- "Recent Happenings" [2000] IndigLawB 80; (2000) 5(4) Indigenous Law Bulletin 28


Recent Happenings

Compiled by Diane Biaggini, Teena Balgi, Alison Neville and Petra Watson

3 October

After a six-year legal fight for native title, the Wik and Wik-Way people of far north Queensland obtained exclusive possession over their land. The decision excluded land covered by pastoral leases and mining titles.

4 October

It was reported that Reconciliation Minister Philip Ruddock commented to French newspaper Le Monde and the Washington Post that indigenous people had not ‘invented the wheel’ and did not ‘have chariots’.

5 October

It was reported that the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, backed by the federal government, would set benchmarks for indigenous living standards, based around health, housing, employment and education factors.

10 October

The Federal Government approved the introduction of diversionary programs, designed to ease the impact of mandatory sentencing laws, in the Northern Territory.

11 October

Bill Hayden, former Governor-General, stated that the Bringing Them Home report was ‘seriously flawed’ and ‘based on ‘faulty memory syndrome’’. Hayden added that Henry Reynolds has a ‘tattered’ historical reputation, the Australian public would never accept a treaty, and the campaign for John Howard’s apology to the stolen generation was ‘going nowhere’.

13 October

An indigenous woman, released from prison to attend her uncle’s funeral in Queensland, was handcuffed and chained to a corrections officer for the entire service.

17 October

Kumantjayi Perkins, Arrernte and Kalkadoon man, died from kidney failure.

17 October

It was reported that the Spinifex people of the Great Victoria Desert reached an out-of-court settlement with the WA Government over a native title claim one and a half times the size of Tasmania, the biggest successful claim nationally.

18 October

NSW Premier Bob Carr said compensation would be an ineffectual measure to solve the problems of forced separation practices.

23 October

Ruby Hunter, Troy Cassar-Daley, Yothu Yindi, NoKTurNL and Christine Anu were recognised at the Indigenous music awards, the Deadlys.

24 October

At the Indigenous Families and Communities Roundtable, substance abuse, domestic violence and welfare dependency were highlighted as priorities. Noel Pearson said the problems of Indigenous communities could only be solved through ‘active intolerance’ of substance abuse and a ‘dismantling of the passive welfare paradigm’. The roundtable was part of a $20 million federal government rethink on indigenous welfare.

27 October

It was reported that The Block, an Aboriginal housing precinct in Sydney, was to be listed with the Australian Heritage Commission in November.

30 October

A United Nations special investigator called for the repeal of mandatory sentencing laws, stating they are a breach of a right to a fair trial.

31 October:

Queensland Police Commissioner, Jim O’Sullivan, denied that handcuffing and strip-searching a young Aboriginal man was police racism.

7 November:

In WA, DNA samples were taken from over 40 homeless people, including Aborigines, in a murder investigation in which the suspect was a white male. The following week, an Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said it was well known the police wanted to increase the pool of Aboriginal DNA on record.

8 November:

An AC Nielsen poll found most Australians want a treaty with Aboriginal people. 52 per cent voted against an apology for past wrongs.

9 November

A Western Australian Native Title regime, which diminished the rights of registered claimants, was disallowed in the Senate by Labor and the Democrats.

11 November

An Aboriginal ‘consulate’ claimed Cockatoo Island (NSW), despite warnings the island is contaminated.

16 November

Three interstate judges found there was an arguable case against the appointment of Hugh Bradley, mandatory sentencing supporter, as NT Chief Magistrate.

17 November

Save the Children Fund, the world’s largest charity, found indigenous children have a mortality rate 3.5 times higher than other children. They called for more funds to tackle indigenous disadvantage and for the repeal of mandatory sentencing laws.

21 November

Maurie Ryan declared his intention to found the Aboriginal Political Party, to contest the Federal seat of Lingiari in the next elections.

22 November

The United Nations Committee Against Torture became the fourth UN committee to criticise Australia’s treatment of Aborigines in the past twelve months.

29 November

The World Heritage Commission stated that the Jabiluka uranium mine did not threaten the heritage value of Kakadu National Park, refusing to register the park on the ‘in-danger’ list.


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