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| Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Ministerial Advisory Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Ministerial Advisory Council |
| Type | Advisory body |
| Jurisdiction | Western Australia |
| Formed | 20th century |
| Chief1 name | Chair |
| Parent agency | State Cabinet |
Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Ministerial Advisory Council The Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Ministerial Advisory Council was an advisory body established to provide counsel on Indigenous policy in Perth, Western Australia. It interfaced with ministers, departments and statutory authorities to influence policy areas including land rights, native title and community development, drawing on expertise from elders, academics and representatives of organisations such as Reconciliation Australia, Australian Human Rights Commission, National Native Title Tribunal, National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and Aboriginal Legal Service (WA). The council sat within the broader context of state mechanisms alongside bodies like the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority (W.A.), State Library of Western Australia, Department of Communities (Western Australia), and engaged with national frameworks including the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), Closing the Gap initiatives and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
The council originated amid late 20th-century reforms following events and reports such as the Woodward Royal Commission-era debates, the proclamation of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), and policy shifts influenced by cases like Mabo v Queensland (No 2), Fejo v Northern Territory, and the activities of organisations including Land Councils and the Aboriginal Land Council (NSW). Its formation reflected state responses to national inquiries including the Bringing Them Home report, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody findings and recommendations from bodies like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Over successive administrations—echoing politics involving figures associated with the Court Ministry (Western Australia), the Gallop Ministry, the Barnett Ministry and the McGowan Ministry—the council’s composition and remit evolved, intersecting with state legislation such as the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) and intergovernmental forums like the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
The council provided advice on policy instruments related to Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA), land management, health and justice strategies that touched on reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Human Rights Commission, and program evaluations by the Productivity Commission. It aimed to advise ministers on implementation of national commitments like Closing the Gap and the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, liaising with service providers such as Centrelink, WA Police Force forums, WA Country Health Service, and community-controlled organisations modeled on the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). The council also reviewed inquiries and royal commissions, drawing on precedents set by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Australian Law Reform Commission reports.
Membership typically included Aboriginal elders, community leaders, representatives from peak bodies including Reconciliation Australia, legal advocates from the Aboriginal Legal Service (WA), and academics associated with institutions like the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University and the Australian National University. Ministers appointed members, paralleling practices seen in appointments to the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and state advisory bodies tied to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Western Australia). Chairs and members sometimes included figures with links to the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and regional organisations such as the Kimberley Land Council, Pilbara Aboriginal Cultural Centre stakeholders, and representatives from community-controlled services like Aboriginal Medical Service (Redfern) in model comparisons.
The council produced advice and reports addressing implementation of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), strategies responding to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations, and contributions to state responses to Bringing Them Home. It informed programs targeting remote housing reform influenced by the Board of Inquiry into Aboriginal Housing-style investigations and provided input into justice reinvestment pilots akin to those advised by the Australia’s Productivity Commission. Its outputs intersected with national reporting obligations to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and engagement with instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The council operated as an advisory mechanism to state ministers and the Parliament of Western Australia, interacting with departments including the Department of Communities (Western Australia), Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (Western Australia), and statutory authorities like the Aboriginal Lands Trust. It coordinated with national agencies including the National Native Title Tribunal, National Indigenous Australians Agency, and peak bodies like Reconciliation Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission, while interfacing with legal processes in courts such as the High Court of Australia in native title contexts and tribunals addressing heritage and land disputes.
Critiques mirrored those levelled at similar advisory bodies: concerns about tokenism raised by advocates from the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and critiques in media outlets like the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), calls for greater community representation echoed by organisations such as the Aboriginal Legal Service (WA), and disputes over effectiveness compared to models advanced by entities like the Kimberley Land Council or recommendations from inquiries like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Tensions arose over appointment processes paralleled in controversies surrounding other advisory panels linked to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Western Australia) and debates about implementation of Closing the Gap targets.
The council contributed to policy dialogue in Western Australia, influencing state responses to national frameworks like the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), Closing the Gap and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Its legacy is visible in ongoing reforms in heritage protection under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA), land management practices involving the Aboriginal Lands Trust, and the continuing role of elders and community-controlled organisations such as the Kimberley Land Council and Pilbara Aboriginal Cultural Centre in policy advisory processes. Its experience informs contemporary debates on co-design models promoted by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and reconciliatory work championed by Reconciliation Australia.
Category:Politics of Western Australia Category:Aboriginal Australian organisations