Acknowledgement of Country - Gadigal Land

I am honored to be here as Chairwoman of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council to welcome this amendment to the New South Wales Constitution.

As most of you would be aware NSWALC is the peak duly-elected representative body for Aboriginal people in New South Wales.

We are firmly focused on protecting the rights and interests, and furthering the aspirations of, our 20,-thousand members and the broader Aboriginal community,

It has long been acknowledged, on all sides of this Parliament, and elsewhere, that there is much unfinished business when it comes to the State and Federal Constitution's.

This is particularly so when it comes to acknowledging the crucial importance of the special place of Aboriginal people in the history of our nation.

We share today an important moment in our Constitutional history.

Today, Aboriginal people are being given due recognition and honour as the First Peoples and nations of Australia and New South Wales.

As you are all aware the tone for this country's relationship with Aboriginal people is embodied in the Constitution.

This is why NSWALC sought a commitment from State and Federal Government's, to give Constitutional recognition to Australia's first peoples through amendments to the preambles of their respective Constitutions.

That commitment was sought during the 2009 Annual Conference for the Local Government Association of New South Wales.

The New South Wales Government is now acting upon it.

I am encouraged by its willingness to extend this special recognition to Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians and occupiers of the land.

I am encouraged by its willingness to acknowledge that we have, and always have had, a continuing spiritual, social, cultural and economic relationship with our traditional lands and waters.

In so doing, the New South Wales Government has set the tone for the rest of the document.

In so doing, it is offering us the opportunity to further articulate our shared goals, principles and ideals as a nation.

This is a significant constitutional step in the right direction

I am hopeful it will not be the only step.

There are very few mechanisms for our people in this State which provide a basis for protecting our rights available as first peoples.

The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act is one of these.

Like the proposed amendment to the New South Wales Constitution, the Land Rights Act gives due and special recognition of the spiritual, social, cultural and economic importance of land to Aboriginal people.

It is now our sole form of compensation for the dispossession of our land.

This is little understood by the general public.

It is important the Government, and this Parliament, continue to uphold such legislative mechanisms.

They are fundamental to the protection of our rights.

Aboriginal people throughout NSW would appreciate the Government, and the Parliament, build upon such laws to extend the good will evident here today.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a framework which fully respects Aboriginal peoples rights and creates the opportunity for all Australians to be truly equal.

I would urge the State Government and all members of this Parliament to work together in coming months to take the next step on the path toward full recognition of Australia's first peoples.

You could do so by commencing to implement the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

Practical steps for implementing the Declaration include the delivery of services, financial and infrastructure support, legislative amendment, education programs and reparatory measures.

In taking this step, the Government, and all members of the Parliament must:

• Ensure meaningful, respectful and culturally appropriate consultation with grass-roots Aboriginal peoples;
• Recognise the impact of historic injustices and the fundamental importance of self-determination and the right to self-government;
• Recognise and respect Aboriginal peoples as the only determinants of their Aboriginal culture and heritage; and
• Provide freedom from discrimination and respect for legal and other protections that enshrine these rights.

In our view, these measures should be supported by a rights based score-card for benchmarking and monitoring policies, programs and services for Aboriginal people.

Such a score-card was developed by the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in 2004, which attempted to provide a framework against which laws, policies, programs and services can be assessed.

This would be a good starting point.

Without the political will and funding to secure the rights enshrined in the Declaration, these measures alone will not create opportunities to remedy the disproportionate disadvantage experienced by so many Aboriginal communities in Australia.

In the now famous words of former Prime Minister Kevin during his apology to the Stolen Generations in Canberra...

"...unless the great symbolism of reconciliation is accompanied by an even greater substance, it is little more than a clanging gong.'

In closing let me acknowledge and applaud the New South Wales Government for taking this step and look forward to a time when the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People is implemented into law, policy and service provision for Aboriginal people of the State.

I am ever hopeful of what tomorrow will bring.