| Native
Title amendments on hold By Democrats’ Aboriginal Affairs spokesperson Sandra Kanck |
 |
|
| Fish farms The State Government’s downgrading of the public service is now threatening to jeopardise one of the State’s most important growth industries: aquaculture. Democrats MLC Ian Gilfillan told State Parliament that tuna cages had been placed off Louth Bay for more than two years without any permission. Fisheries Director Gary Morgan has confirmed he has insufficient resources to enforce the law. More news on Aquaculture |
The State
Attorney-General’s haste to push through changes to SA’s native title
legislation is ill conceived. The issue is sensitive, the Bill complex and the people most
affected, native title claimants, largely unaware of the proposed changes. Some aspects of the Bill are palpably unjust. Under the proposed changes leases granted last century for fellmongery (furs) would extinguish native title. In effect, customary law 30,000 years in the making is washed away by a lease to hunt and skin rabbits. The Bill also fails to provide for compensation on just terms when native title is extinguished, thereby flying in the face of Section 51(xxxi) of the Constitution. Others matters will also need careful consideration. One point not negotiable for us is the requirement that native title claimants be fully informed about the changes and given an opportunity to voice their opinion on the amendments. Until that is done we will not progress the legislation through the Legislative Council. And when we do, because of the unjust nature of much of the legislation, we will be voting against much of it, or at least heavily amending it. MEANWHILE... Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation are circulating a petition calling for genuine consultation before any changes are made to native title. Copies are available from Sandra Kanck’s office on 8237 9278. More news on Aboriginal Affairs |
|