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Monday 12 February 2007, Media Release

ELECTION HOTLINE FOR STATE LAND COUNCIL POLL

The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) has set up an Electoral Information Unit to assist Aboriginal people throughout New South Wales who wish to participate in the peak body’s first statewide elections since 1999.

The Electoral Information Unit has a free-call number – 1800 447 096 – to assist with those seeking information about the poll, which will be conducted on May 19.

The Unit has already received dozens of calls.

NSWALC is also conducting direct consultation with the office bearers and members of Local Aboriginal Land Councils about significant changes to the land rights system which flow from amendments made by State Parliament last year to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.

Council officers are traveling around the state to talk face-to-face with Aboriginal people about the election in a fourth round of community consultations about the amended act which has set the State Council election in train.

Hundreds of people have already attended meetings in northern and central NSW, and the north and central coast.

Further meetings will be held this week in Wagga Wagga and Narooma and in Broken Hill and Sydney during the following week.

While the telephone hotline is available for general inquiries it is very important that all LALC members are aware that their first port of call for individual inquiries about the status of their particular membership should be their relevant LALC Secretary.

All LALC members need to have their names, addresses and date of birth registered on their individual LALC membership rolls before March 6 to be eligible to vote in the election.

As the only remaining Aboriginal representative body on the eastern seaboard, NSWALC believes it is crucial that the maximum number of eligible members vote in the State Council poll to ensure the best representation possible on the incoming State Council.

Murray Chapman
NSWALC Administrator

Geoff Scott
Acting Chief Executive Officer
NSWALC

Further Information: Paul Molloy 0419 690 926