From ABC, September 21, 2006
Perth native title decision could have
'significant implications'
The federal Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, has warned a decision on native title over the Perth metropolitan area could exclude the public from access to areas such as national parks and urban open spaces.
The Federal Court has ruled the Nyoongar people have proven their claim to the area.
The Native Title Tribunal says the decision will only affect a small proportion of land, but the state and federal governments are considering challenging.
Mr Ruddock says while it is only an early decision in the case, it could have significant implications.
"In a major capital city, where you do have very extensive areas of parklands, water foreshores, beaches, matters of that sort, you could well find that if a native title were found to be a bona fide claim and lawful that means that native title owners would be able to exclude other people from access to those areas," he said.
NSW talks
Meanwhile, the head of a New South Wales native title body, Warren Mundine, says he will be sitting down with the State Government to talk about claims in the wake of the Perth decision.
Mr Mundine, who is also an ALP member, has told Sky News solicitors in his New South Wales Native Title Services body will be looking at the implications of the decision.
"We'll be sitting down with the New South Wales Government today and starting to talk about a number of issues that have come out of that decision," he said.
"I think people have got to start realising that Aboriginal people are Australian and are here to be part of the Australian community.
"We all want to work together."
From above:
you could well find that if a native title were found to be a bona fide claim and lawful that means that native title owners would be able to exclude other people from access to those areas," he said.
macca said:Hi Happy,
At present it costs $25.00 to purchase a 3 day pass to the national park which contains Uluru and the Olgas, no pass, no entry, no Uluru
From ABC, September 23, 2006
Native title ruling boosts confidence over Adelaide claim
It is hoped last week's landmark court decision recognising native title over Perth will help the Kaurna people in Adelaide.
The Nyoongar people are the first Aborigines to succeed in claiming native title over a capital city.
The Kaurna people lodged a native title claim over Adelaide in 2000, but are yet to prove a continuous association with the land.
Speaking for the Kaurna people, Lynette Crocker says she is encouraged by the Perth ruling and hopes it will be a precedent for the Adelaide claim.
"This is a major step forward I think and like the paper says landmark decision for Nyoongar people, Nunga people or Kaurna people or any other people who their native title goes over a city."
Ms Crocker says politicians have responded in a knee-jerk fashion to the court decision.
The Western Australian Government has indicated it will challenge the ruling and the federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has warned that the claim could restrict public access to parks and beaches.
Ms Crocker says the responses have been alarmist.
"I think it's part of a further scare tactic that was happening, people want to tend to roll out the old rhetoric about people taking up your yards and other things but it's not about that."
macca said:Hi all,
The attached link is in the paper today, hopefully this is a step forward for these communities.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/how-intolerance-can-turn-the-tide/2006/09/27/1159337220004.html
Hello Julia'Julia said:Thanks for posting that link, Macca. Really interesting and so absolutely sensible.
If there were more indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson the aboriginal population would have more reason for hope. However, his suggestions will probably be met with opposition from the ultra left who will brand the programme as paternalistic. Well, imo, paternalistic is just what is needed at this stage.
Julia
Bobby said:Hello Julia'
I did like your comments .
But watch the white aboriginals attack on Noel Pearson
Bob.
From ABC, October 6, 2006
No future for some Indigenous communities: Brough
The federal Indigenous Affairs Minister has signalled the Government believes there is no future in some remote Indigenous communities.
Mal Brough says it is not feasible to continue to support people living in such communities when there is no access to school or health services in the area.
He says in some places there is no chance of economic sustainability.
"There is no doubt that there are some communities that it is unrealistic to continue to pour more money into when there is no future for them," he said.
"On the other hand, I don't want anyone to read into that this is a blanket, get rid of homelands, which some people have portrayed it in."
From ABC , October 6, 2006
Indigenous man sentenced to life for pregnant wife's murder
A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 19 years for murdering his pregnant wife at a remote Aboriginal community near Laverton in Western Australia.
Arron Butler choked the 23-year-old woman to death and then burned her body.
She was eight months pregnant with his child.
Supreme Court Justice Narelle Johnson said she took into account Butler's tribal punishment in deciding not impose a harsher sentence.
The court was told Butler nearly died after being speared in both legs immediately after the murder.
Justice Johnson also said she took into consideration that prison would be difficult for Butler because he had lived all of his life in a traditional manner.
Happy said:To me it is excuse, after excuse.
On the other hand good to know that if you almost die after committing murder chances are that punishment will be lighter.
Bit of a worry if it will be applied with the same compassion to any other race Australian in race-less Australia.
HappyHappy said:Omission or not, hard to follow every story out there, since you see more, care to top up?
Thread is open to anybody to contribute.
From ABC , October 17, 2006
Customary law should be considered in sentencing: Senate committee
A Government-dominated Senate committee has recommended sweeping changes to a proposal for cultural background or customary law to be ignored during the sentencing process for federal offences.
The Bill was drafted after the July Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, when all states and territories agreed to a renewed effort to overcome violence in Indigenous communities.
But the Senate's Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee says the Bill is misguided and would do little to ease the problems.
The committee's report says all the evidence showed the plan to remove cultural background from consideration in sentencing would be in conflict with every major inquiry into the issue, including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
A dissenting Labor report also raises concern the Bill will lead to increased racial discrimination against Indigenous Australians and those with a multicultural background.
From ABC, November 3, 2006
Indigenous leader calls for abandonment of 'cultural suicide'
An Aboriginal traditional owner says Indigenous people are on a path of cultural suicide and need to accept some blame for the choices they have made.
Rosalie Kunoth Monks, who chairs the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Education, has made the comments at a Desert Knowledge symposium in Alice Springs.
Ms Monks says land and culture are no longer sufficient to sustain identity and people must accept change.
"To be part of the economy and a contributing member of society we have to take that journey," she said.
"It is my belief that the confusion will only be resolved through a new sense of identity and that comes through when you connect with other people, look at future pathways and not be so internalised."
From ABC, December 11, 2006
Govts accused of ignoring Indigenous health crisis
More than 30 of Australia's key medical and social welfare groups say Indigenous Australians are dying because of a lack of political will and action.
The groups have paid close to $40,000 to publish in a national newspaper an open letter to the federal, state and territory governments, asking them to put more money into Indigenous health immediately.
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Tom Calma, says an extra $300 million per year would stop Indigenous people dying an average of 17 years earlier than other Australians.
He says governments also need to commit to measurable targets.
"Targets make people accountable and make governments accountable and that's what needs to happen," he said.
Mr Calma says governments need to commit to raising Indigenous life expectancy to normal levels within 25 years.
"Government is not really listening to what Aboriginal people and the medical profession are saying," he said.
"We need to be able to get the Government to start to focus a lot more to setting some fairly realistic and achievable targets and benchmarks and time frames."
The Red Cross, Amnesty International and Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth have signed the document.
The groups say it is inconceivable that a country as wealthy as Australia cannot solve a health crisis affecting less than 3 per cent of the population.
John Paterson from the Northern Territory's peak aboriginal medical organisation, AMSANT, says there is no mystery about what is needed.
"Give us the money tomorrow," he said.
"We're in the position to go and recruit GPs and other clinicians that Indigenous communities are currently screaming out for."
Govt response
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbot says the Government is trying.
"I hope no one thinks that Indigenous health outcomes are a function of governmental neglect," he said.
Mr Abbott says he respects the idealism behind the open letter, but he is not going to commit to the kind of target it is recommending.
"If it was as easy as all that to improve Indigenous health it would have been done a long time ago," he said.
"But certainly it doesn't hurt to have a whole lot of prominent people reminding us of the urgency of this task."
Mr Abbott says Indigenous people do not have poor health just because they are Indigenous.
"It's a function of Indigenous people having significantly higher levels of unemployment, significantly poorer housing and the fact that many of them live in very, very remote locations which are extremely difficult to services," he said.
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