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Monday 22 September 2003, Media Release

OVERWHELMING SUPPORT TO RUN OUR OWN AFFAIRS

The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council today voted to formally request that the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Dr.Andrew Refshauge, reject a key recommendation in an investigator's report into NSWALC to sack the council and replace it with a Government appointed administrator.

The motion was carried unanimously at the end of a special two day meeting of council to consider its formal response to the Investigator's report.

It was moved by Councillor Robert Lester and seconded by Councillor Veronica Graf.

Council resolved it would give the Minister a written commitment to continue the reform of its governance policies and procedures as part of its formal response to the investigator's report.

It further resolved to formally reject the report's key recommendation because of major flaws Council had identified in it and Council's commitment to continue its reform process in line with its undertaking to the Minister.

Council's commitment to the Minister will be provided when it formally lodges its response to the report of the investigator.

The Minister gave Council 28 days to respond when he tabled the report in Parliament last week.

The resolution is a clear indication of the unanimous support at NSWALC for our right to run our own affairs.

This is the founding principle of this organisation and councillors left no doubt today they will fight for this right in the interests of their members.

We do not believe an administrator is required at NSWALC.

We have accepted that much of the criticism of this organisation in recent years, as reflected in the investigator's report, is justified. We do not walk away from that.

However we have adopted new governance policies and procedures and an internal separation of powers regime which obviates the need for further intervention.

We are confident we can demonstrate this to the Minister.

We also intend to highlight major deficiencies in the investigator's report, particularly material used to support his call on the Government to send someone in to run NSWALC's affairs for eighteen months, and a number of other unlawful recommendations.

NSWALC is happy to continue to work with the Government to improve the economic, social and cultural outcomes for our people.

Les Trindall
Chairperson
September 22, 2003.