1. Home
  2. Hansard & Papers
  3. Legislative Assembly
  4. 2 July 2003
Contact Print this page Reduce font size Increase font size

National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee Week

Printing Tips | Print selected text | Full Day Hansard Transcript         « Prior Item | Item 50 of 58 | Next Item »

About this Item
Subjects -  Aborigines: New South Wales; Education; Art; Schools
Speakers - Refshauge Dr Andrew; Hazzard Mr Brad; Lynch Mr Paul; Hancock Mrs Shelley; Burney Ms Linda; Aplin Mr Greg; Gaudry Mr Bryce; Constance Mr Andrew; Moore Ms Clover; Turner Mr Russell; Berejiklian Ms Gladys; Torbay Mr Richard; Draper Mr Peter
Business - Matter of Public Importance


    NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND ISLANDERS DAY OF OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE WEEK
Page: 2675


    Matter of Public Importance

    Dr REFSHAUGE (Marrickville—Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) [7.30 p.m.]: I ask the House to note as a matter of public importance National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week 2003. I acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. Next week is NAIDOC Week, which we can celebrate and talk about in a bipartisan manner in this place. Many honourable members wish to speak about NAIDOC Week so I will not reply to this discussion in order to permit more of them to make a contribution. NAIDOC Week is about the Aboriginal community celebrating its identity, culture and survival and demonstrating that, in spite of all that it has faced, its sense of community, togetherness and determination is still strong and its people continue to move forward.

    This week is an opportunity for Aboriginal community members to get together. They may meet at sporting carnivals or community barbecues or get together for karaoke—which, in Sydney, seems to be called Koori-oke. This is a week for Aboriginal people to share their stories and traditions and to celebrate their culture, and the whole community benefits. Local councils around the State are embracing NAIDOC Week and organising activities. There is a film festival in Parramatta and an exhibition in Tamworth celebrating indigenous Australians. They are just a couple of events of many that will occur across the State.

    There are more local councils flying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags all year round. These are all good signs that understanding and acceptance of Aboriginal culture and history is spreading among the Australian community. This year's NAIDOC Week theme is "Our Children, Our Future". In my roles as Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, I want to see educational outcomes for Aboriginal people to match, or better, mainstream outcomes within a decade. It is not right that in 2003 we have such disparity. Certainly the basic skills literacy test results show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' average scores in years 3 and 5 have increased since 1996.

    But we need literacy and numeracy results to significantly improve, and we need higher retention rates. These are the building blocks for education. We targeted those areas in the budget handed down last week. This year we will provide $39.2 million to support Aboriginal services for more than 34,000 students across the State. This will include the employment of approximately 320 Aboriginal education assistants in public schools. This shows that Aboriginal people working effectively with teachers in classrooms and liaising with Aboriginal parents can improve outcomes for students.

    NAIDOC Week is being celebrated throughout our education system. For example, the North Coast Institute of TAFE has planned a luncheon and an open day for Aboriginal community members on Tuesday 8 July at the Djigay Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal Education at the Kempsey Campus. Many schools will have flag-raising ceremonies. Lewisham Public School has organised talks on reconciliation with Aboriginal community members, an Aboriginal dance performance, poetry and storytelling, excerpts from the movie Rabbit Proof Fence for upper primary students, and a "Hands up for reconciliation" display in the playground. Dulwich Hill Public School in my electorate will hold a community night on 3 July to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Aboriginal footballers from South Sydney Rugby League Club have also visited the school and met students.

    I am proud to announce tonight that the Government, through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, will offer scholarships to six Aboriginal students in years 11 and 12. The one-off scholarships are worth $1,500 each and will help students to continue their studies. Two scholarships will be offered to students in the Sydney area and four to students in rural and regional New South Wales. These scholarships are joint initiatives with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission of New South Wales, the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. We are interested in ideas providing real benefits to the Aboriginal community, which is what these six scholarships will do. Those benefits will extend not just to the students but also to their schools and communities. It will send the message that doing well at school brings rewards, recognition and respect.

    These scholarships will create role models not just from the sporting field but also from the classroom. Aboriginal communities will benefit from this project. The scholarships will be officially launched at a flag-raising ceremony at Sydney Town Hall on Monday 7 July and they will be awarded at the end of the academic year. Just yesterday we learned of the amazing discovery of 4,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art in Wollemi National Park. That is wonderful evidence of the rich and deeply spiritual culture of the original inhabitants of this land. This NAIDOC Week we celebrate the survival and strength of Aboriginal Australians. With the week's theme "Our Children, Our Future" in mind, we will continue to work in partnership with Aboriginal people to achieve the goal of equity. I wish everyone in the State a very good NAIDOC Week. I hope they enjoy their celebrations.

    Mr HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [7.36 p.m.]: The Coalition supports the sentiments expressed by the Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding the celebration of National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week. NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to come together and celebrate our Australian Aboriginal heritage and to understand and learn more about that heritage. There have been many wonderful achievements in the Aboriginal community, and NAIDOC Week gives young people the chance to reflect upon those successes and great cultural contributions and the cultural basis provided by 40,000 years of Aboriginal occupation of this country.

    For many years the New South Wales Coalition and the Labor Party in this State have, as far as practicable, adopted a bipartisan approach to Aboriginal issues in New South Wales. We acknowledge that the concepts of reconciliation and understanding are extremely important to the way in which New South Wales, and indeed Australia, move forward. NAIDOC and reconciliation give people from vastly different communities and backgrounds with vastly different life experiences the opportunity to come together, recognising a common future and destiny born from our history. I have spoken several times in this place about reconciliation and NAIDOC and the opportunities that this important week presents for us all. It is a celebration of Aboriginal history and Australia and of how Aboriginal people have made us what we are today.

    I note that the theme for NAIDOC Week this year is "Our Children, Our Future." The Coalition would like to see far more done for our children and our future. I recollect some years ago visiting Broken Hill prison. There is an open area in that prison with Aboriginal paintings on the walls that are topped with barbed wire. Unfortunately, Aboriginal people are disproportionately represented in the population of that prison, as they are in so many other prisons throughout New South Wales. It was obviously not a nice place to be and I did not know what to expect in that environment. I sought permission to speak to some inmates when the officers were not present. In the middle of the prison grounds there is an open area with a small hut, which contains a pool table. I went to the hut, where about half a dozen Aboriginal inmates were playing pool or snooker.

    When I told them I was the shadow Minister for Corrective Services and also shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs a few of them showed an interest, and others moved away. One inmate, a very large man, indicated a willingness to talk to me. I said to him, "I am not here necessarily to make your life any more pleasant in this environment, but I am here to make sure that I learn from your circumstances, and perhaps you can help me to learn what I can do to help other people who might find themselves in the same position." He said, "The first thing I would do is to ignore or not worry about people such as myself, people who have already reached this situation. If I were you I would visit towns like Brewarrina, Wilcannia and Bourke and see what is happening to our young people." I said, "Tell me what is happening to the young people." He said "Children as young as three and four are sniffing petrol. Their lives are already being programmed for absolute failure."

    The message he gave me was clear: We, as a community, need to put most of our energy—in his opinion all of our energy—into providing opportunities for young people. The last time I was audacious enough to suggest that more might be done, the honourable member for Canterbury, who was the Director-General of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, gave me a gentle serve and offered me a briefing. I do not need the briefing because I am well aware of the issues, but I appreciated her offer. However, as she is no longer the director-general she cannot offer me that briefing. I say to this House and to the community of New South Wales that this Government has not done enough in many areas. I am not saying it has not done some good. For example, circle sentencing has been quite good. However, I remind the House that that came about following submissions to the prison inquiry, which was established by the Coalition.

    This Government has failed in a whole host of areas. It has failed miserably to support a program to encourage far more Aboriginal teachers and teaching assistants to enter the system. I joined in the celebrations last week when an Aboriginal teacher from Glen Innes High School graduated with the Department of Education and Training. I read in this week's Indigenous Times that, in fact, five Aboriginal teachers graduated that day, and I congratulate them all. But it is still a very small number of people who are being targeted and trained. While I welcome the Minister's announcement today of six scholarships for year 11 and year 12 students, there are not many Aboriginal students in years 11 and 12 these days. Many drop out in primary school. A far more proactive program is needed to encourage students to go beyond primary school to high school and stay within the system. Children at the preschool level need more encouragement.

    I know it is popular at the moment to criticise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission [ATSIC], but it has done some good work. A number of years ago ATSIC encouraged the development of preschools that teach Aboriginal culture as part of the integral social program offered through the school. When I visited one such preschool in Broken Hill I was impressed with the work of the teachers. I was even more impressed that when the students, both black and white, moved to the local primary school, they achieved excellent outcomes. That is the sort of model we need for young children. Self-esteem is the key to the progress of all individuals. One has to have a sense of self and of self-esteem. I was told that the program to get children into the preschool was in some difficulty because many of the parents lacked self-esteem and self-assuredness, and a knowledge of their position in the universe. So it is necessary to also provide support to the parents.

    We have to start at the beginning with young children, but we also have to work with the parents, and get the system working right through primary school and high school. Without being negative, I remind the Minister that although he has told us that the Government is doing a great job, it was only last year that the former Minister for Education and Training was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as having said about the Carr Labor Government, "We weren't delivering to Aboriginal kids". He had withdrawn the review of the literacy program because he knew that the Government was not delivering for Aboriginal children. NAIDOC Week is a time for celebration. We should take every opportunity to review where we are going—where we are being positive and where we are failing. Together we should move forward and be constructive. The Government has an obligation to lead, and to use all necessary resources to ensure that Aboriginal people are given every opportunity.

    Mr LYNCH (Liverpool) [7.45 p.m.]: I am delighted to contribute to this matter of public importance relating to NAIDOC Week. As I understand it, NAIDOC Week commences on 6 July, but granted that this is the last week of sittings it is appropriate to debate this matter now. The theme of NAIDOC Week is "Our Children, Our Future". This is a very important event, not just for the Aboriginal community but for all Australians who live in this country. An indication of its importance is the plethora of events to take place during NAIDOC Week. I want to mention some of the events that will take place in Liverpool, not just because I am interested in Liverpool, but also because it will demonstrate how widely supported NAIDOC events are. Last Friday, 22 June, St Therese Primary School celebrated NAIDOC Day. Unfortunately I could not attend the celebrations because Parliament was sitting. A newsletter was distributed, which stated:

    "NAIDOC Week is the outcome of a long history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander efforts to bring issues of concern to the attention of Governments and the general public.
    In 1924, the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association, (AAPA) was formed in Sydney under the leadership of Fred Maynard. The AAPA tried to raise awareness of the struggle of Aboriginal people but were forced to abandon their work in 1927 due to constant harassment by the police.
    In 1932 William Copper, from Cummeragunga, formed the Australian Aborigines League in Melbourne. In protest to the conditions under which Aboriginal people were forced to live, Copper drafted a petition to King George V. The Commonwealth Government informed him that this would be an unconstitutional act."
    The history of similar efforts continued through the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s to today.
    "In 1957, the National Aborigines' Day Observance Committee (NADOC), with the support and co-operation of the Federal and State Governments, the churches and major Aboriginal organisations was formed.
    In 1991, NADOC became known as NAIDOC to include Torres Strait Islanders. NAIDOC is now widely used to refer to all the events and celebrations that go on during National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Week.
    NAIDOC celebrations give Australia's Indigenous people the opportunity to display the richness of our culture and heritage to the rest of the Australian community. It is encouraging to see that the wider Australian community is joining with us to celebrate this week.
    After all, we all have a lot to celebrate."

    Last Monday I attended the assembly at St Francis Xavier school, Lurnea, to celebrate NAIDOC Week. The assembly was supervised by Assistant Principal Mary-Louise Green. The Aboriginal flag was raised and its significance was explained to the children. It was explained that black represented the Aboriginal people, past, present and future; yellow represented yellow ochre and the sun, the giver of life; red represented the red earth, Aboriginal spiritual relationship to the land; and red ochre used in ceremonies. A number of other events will occur during the next few days. On 10 July at Liverpool, South-west Women's Housing will launch the NAIDOC Koori Art Project. On Friday 11 July a traditional march will be held in Liverpool from Augusto Cullen Park down to Macquarie Mall, where there will be a formal welcome to country by Fred Malone, of the Gandangara Aboriginal Land Council. There will be a demonstration by the Gandangara Corroboree Dancers and the inevitable speeches by the local State member for Liverpool and the Deputy Mayor, Wendy Waller.

    Also on that Friday will be an event—which was held last year as well—in conjunction with the march from Augusta Cullen Park to Macquarie Mall. The day of events at Liverpool railway station is organised by the State Rail Authority. There will be a number of information stalls and artefacts displays, and a number of speeches and various other activities. On 5 July the annual Aboriginal Art Exhibition will be opened by the MIL-PRA Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. This year the exhibition will be at the Liverpool Museum.

    The theme this year of NAIDOC—"Our Children, Our Future"—is particularly poignant granted the history of the Stolen Generation. For Liverpool these are not abstract matters; these are very real matters. A significant number of victims of the Stolen Generation live in Liverpool. The best known, of course, is Nancy de Vries, who has addressed this Chamber and is a great character in Liverpool. Of course, Liverpool has its own history of invasion, dispossession and death. The peak of the Aboriginal guerrilla war in Liverpool was probably in about 1816-17. Despite all of that, and despite all of those histories, NAIDOC Day is a day not just to celebrate survival, but to celebrate a culture, to celebrate a particularly rich and important heritage, and to celebrate a future. It is in that context that the theme "Our Children, Our Future" is so very important and so very poignant.

    Mrs HANCOCK (South Coast) [7.50 p.m.]: I am extremely pleased to speak on the matter of public importance relating to National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week, which will be celebrated throughout this country from Sunday 6 July through to Sunday 13 July. The concept of NAIDOC Week goes back to the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, when great Aboriginal leaders such as Sam Maynard and William Cooper organised protests, rallies and meetings to highlight and focus on the plight of Aboriginal people at the time. They also called for Aboriginal representation in Parliament. It has taken a long time for that to occur, but it has occurred, thanks to the honourable member for Canterbury, Linda Burney. The first Day of Mourning was called for in the 1940s. At that time the Aboriginal people had a lot more to mourn.

    The main focus at that time was on mourning the extremely destructive policies of what has come to be called the protection era. Of course, we all know about that. That was, I guess, a well-intentioned piece of legislation, but it was to have destructive effects that are felt even today. The protective policies of the early twentieth century resulted in the forced removal of half-caste children from their families, to be taken to places such as Kinchilla and Cootamundra training homes. Most of those children would never see their families again. The Stolen Generation story is a shameful time in our history, as were the following policies of assimilation and, to some extent, integration. But all of those shameful parts of our history have illustrated the resilience and strength of Aboriginal people. In fact, they have not only survived but they have succeeded in so many endeavours—in sport, in leadership, in politics, as parliamentarians, as doctors, as lawyers, as artists, as singers and as dancers. They have so much to celebrate, and so do we.

    There is some disagreement about the pronunciation of the acronym "NAIDOC". It was previously referred to as NADOC Week. I think it was Pastor Doug Nicholls who, in 1991, inserted the letter "I" to include Torres Strait Islanders. I emphasise the "I" in my pronunciation to differentiate between NAIDOC and NADOC. Generally speaking, NAIDOC Week, as it is now, is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal people—all of us, not just Aboriginal people. We come together to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal people. It is a positive affirmation of Aboriginal culture and strength, and a way to promote greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the past local indigenous elders have visited schools in my electorate to showcase the talents of our local Aboriginal communities. They have provided traditional cooking demonstrations, dance lessons, and art and craft workshops where all children, indigenous and non-indigenous, have joined together in a couple of days of fun—a change from their usual curriculum, and welcomed by everybody.

    I wish all communities throughout Australia who will celebrate NAIDOC Week next week all the very best. I pay tribute to Aboriginal leaders, especially past leaders, whose courage and strength so many years ago have led to this celebration and positive affirmation of reconciliation. In closing, I point out that there remain many problems for the New South Wales Government to tackle, especially in the fields of literacy and numeracy, to which the Deputy Premier referred. Of course, retention rates in secondary schools are a serious problem, and education in tertiary institutions is of concern to all of us. The overrepresentation of young indigenous offenders in gaols and institutions is an issue that needs to be tackled by us all in a bipartisan approach and at all levels of government.

    The honourable member for Liverpool spoke about the previous Minister for Education and Training, who admitted in February this year that the Government was not delivering for Aboriginal children. I am pleased that the Minister made that admission, and I am pleased also that the Deputy Premier has come into the House and mentioned positive ways to address those problems. But as the Government has had eight years to address the problems, especially education for Aboriginal children, I expect that the Deputy Premier will be taking some very serious steps—perhaps more serious than those he has mentioned tonight—to improve the situation, rather than limp along, as the Government has for the past eight years, essentially doing very little to improve the lives of young Aboriginal people in our communities. [Time expired.]

    Ms BURNEY (Canterbury) [7.55 p.m.]: The concept of the National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee and, in particular, NAIDOC Day, was born out of a lack of recognition, respect and the shocking circumstances that Aboriginal people were being forced to endure. There was a total lack of recognition given to the history, culture and needs of my people, including the lack of recognition of citizenship rights. The levels of racism and abuse will always be a dreadful blight on the scorecard of Australia's record of decency and fairness. The first NAIDOC Week grew out of the Day of Mourning, which was held for the first time on 26 January 1937. In 1957 the National Aborigines' Day Observance Committee [NADOC]—with the support and co-operation of the Federal and State governments, the churches and major Aboriginal organisations—was formed. In 1957 an Aboriginal pastor, Sir Douglas Nicholls, persuaded the National Missionary Council of Australia to nominate the second day in July to be the day of remembrance of Aboriginal people and heritage.

    In 1991 NADOC became known as NAIDOC to include Torres Strait Islanders. NAIDOC is now used widely to refer to all the events and celebrations that go on during National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee Week. NAIDOC has played an important role in providing a focus for schools. Long before we had the curriculum we have today, schools celebrated NAIDOC. That is very important in terms of a society having the capacity to own and tell the truth—a fundamental plank of reconciliation is having the capacity to own the truth. My own experience of school was like that. I was told that I was the closest example to Stone Age man, that my people had no culture and no heritage. It was one of the most devastating of my school experiences. NAIDOC today is not so much about protest but about sharing and celebrating. It is about remembering our heroes.

    History is written by the conqueror, so that many great Australian heroes are only now finding their way into our collective narrative: people such as Sir Doug Nicholls, Bill Ferguson, Kath Walker, Faith Bandler, Jack Pattern, Pemilwuy, Tedbury, Windradyne, Evelyn Crawford, Isabelle Flick and Margaret Tucker—all great warriors in the struggle for recognition of the rights of indigenous people as citizens and of our cultural rights. How many people know that Aboriginal people went to every theatre of war and fought for Australia? NAIDOC reminds us of the wonderful gift Aboriginal history and culture brings to all of us as a nation. Today NAIDOC is celebrated by all. It is also a time for reflection—reflection on life choices and life's chances, which are still not equal in this country.

    Aboriginal babies are twice as likely to have low birth weight, die or fail to thrive. Aboriginal people die 15 to 20 years younger than non-indigenous Australians, which is one of the most damning statistics I can think of. Even as an indigenous person I find it shocking that the life expectancy of an indigenous woman is at least 20 years less than that of a non-indigenous woman in this country. Aboriginal people have 23 times the average death rate from kidney infections, which is something very close to my family. We have a 12 to 17 times higher than average incidence of diabetes—one of the highest rates in the world and difficult to understand in a first world nation. Aboriginal people are three to five times more likely to die from chronic respiratory disease. It is completely unacceptable, and I know that is understood by everyone in this House.

    Aboriginal people are 10 times more likely to suffer from blindness. We are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital, usually so ill that we need to stay longer than the average patient. We are admitted mainly for dialysis, pregnancy and childbirth complications, respiratory and digestive diseases, and injury. Aboriginal people suffer higher than average rates of mental disorders, alcohol and other drug-related conditions, circulatory diseases, nervous system disorders, skin diseases, and infectious and parasitic diseases. I welcome the cohesiveness of this debate on NAIDOC Week. I recognise the co-operation and involvement of the Opposition and the Independents. Let us focus on "Our Children, Our Future", which is this year's theme. It is a chance for all of us to do just that. [Time expired.]

    Mr APLIN (Albury) [8.00 p.m.]: I contribute to the matter of public importance in relation to National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week, to be celebrated in the second week of July. It is a celebration of the history of indigenous people in our country. The theme for this year is "Our Children, Our Future", which highlights the importance of ensuring that our children have basic human rights, including good health, protection from harm, a decent education and an adequate standard of living. All governments should respect this basic and obvious theme. We can all play a role in helping to build a better world for our children. Part of that role is to teach children about their history and culture, to give them a sense of purpose, to provide good role models, to set moral examples and standards of behaviour, and to provide the opportunity to attain something worthwhile in life.

    I congratulate my local communities in the Albury area on their work in raising community awareness about issues relating to indigenous people. Although NAIDOC Week may be a once-a-year program that celebrates Aboriginal cultural history, we recognise the history of our Wiradjuri people on many occasions. Only recently a most successful reconciliation forum was held in Albury with prominent guest speakers, followed by a bush tucker lunch. It is common that conferences, festivals, dedications of buildings and all manner of celebrations include a message from an elder of the Wiradjuri people. On many occasions I have introduced or shared the stage with Wiradjuri elder Pastor Cec Grant or heard the dreamtime stories of Eddie Kneebone. In Albury NAIDOC Week will be marked by a flag-raising ceremony on Monday 7 July, with a welcome to the country by Pastor Cec Grant. Albury is within the Wiradjuri country of New South Wales, and this is proclaimed on the city signs on the main approach roads.

    The celebrations include community events at Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation, the showcasing of activities at Koori Kindermanna preschool and a family fun day. Lavington Library will have a display of Aboriginal books and children's art from Albury schools, Banjora preschool and Koori Kindermanna. This year the indigenous community of Albury-Wodonga has a few more things to celebrate, and a more extensive program of activities reflects this. On Wednesday 9 July "Walkabout: Follow the Footsteps of Some Indigenous Workers" will highlight some positive employment outcomes for the community realised in the last 12 months. Highlighted will be the work undertaken by indigenous workers associated with the Burraja project on the causeway, operated by Parklands Albury Wodonga, where a tourist-educational installation is being developed to present a depiction of the lifestyles and activities of the earliest Australians along the Murray River.

    The employment by Albury City of a number of indigenous trainees under the Federal Government's indigenous employment policy will be celebrated with two of the trainees in parks and gardens leading guided tours of the botanical gardens. Wandoo Aboriginal Corporation, the local Community Development Employment Program organisation, is the venue for a barbecue and tour on Tuesday 8 July. Wandoo was recently successful in applying for funding support for its native nursery enterprise under the Federal Government's Indigenous Small Business Fund. There will also be a tour of the Wonga Wetlands project. "Wonga" means cormorant in the Wiradjuri language. Approximately 130 different species of birds live in these restored wetlands. An Aboriginal cultural trail is being established at the site. There will be no shortage of activities in our part of New South Wales.

    But what about facilities and programs? The Government has some way to go to address adequately many substantive aspects affecting indigenous children and their communities. We are waiting for a decision to appoint an Aboriginal community liaison officer to the police local area command. I raised this important matter at a Police Accountability Community Teams [PACT] meeting, and I have been advised that the application is in and funding is awaited. It is an important appointment, and one I hope the Government will deal with soon in the same way that an Aboriginal liaison officer has been appointed to the Department of Education and Training. His geographical area of responsibility is huge, but he does a great job. He is one of the key people who will surely play a long-term role in implementing this year's theme, "Our Children, Our Future".

    What of preschool commitments? The Koori Kindermanna preschool is desperate to establish a full five-day operation in its own premises, but it needs funding to achieve this. Given that indigenous children and young people are grossly overrepresented in the care system by a factor of nine to one, it is vital that the Government plan and resource the areas that will make a difference, support the early provider programs and ensure that indigenous children gain the best start in life. I wish all those around the country celebrating NAIDOC Week the very best for their activities next week.

    Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [8.05 p.m.]: "Our Children, Our Future" is a critical statement for all of us as we celebrate National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week 2003. It is timely to reflect on the work we are doing to progress our goal of educational equity for Aboriginal students as we come to the end of term two of the school year. Basic skills test literacy results show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students average scores in years 3 and 5 have increased since 1996. The number of Aboriginal students in the lowest literacy level in year 3 has decreased substantially in that period from 42 per cent in 1996 to 28 per cent in 2002. In the lowest year 5 levels, the decrease has been from 26 per cent to 19 per cent. In numeracy, year 3 Aboriginal students average basic skills test scores have increased.

    The number of Aboriginal students in the lowest numeracy level in year 3 has decreased from 29 per cent in 1996 to 24 per cent in 2002. In the last year 5 levels, the decrease has been from 23 per cent to 21 per cent. Aboriginal enrolments at TAFE have increased by nearly 10 per cent from 2001 to 2002. Aboriginal module completion rates at TAFE have also increased from 58.8 per cent in 2001 to 60.5 per cent in 2002. As the Minister for Education and Training indicated, within a decade we want educational outcomes for Aboriginal students to be comparable to those of all students. One of the challenges in meeting this goal is to ensure that an appropriate number of qualified Aboriginal teachers is successfully recruited and retained. Without doubt, Aboriginal teachers provide significant role models for all students, and an excellent opportunity for maintaining and imparting Aboriginal culture in schools.

    All students in New South Wales are educated about Aboriginal Australia, and the achievements of Aboriginal students are promoted under the Aboriginal education policy released by this Government in 1996. The Government remains committed to improving opportunities for Aboriginal students to train as teachers, and for these graduates to be recruited into the education system. As at 30 Jun 2002 there were approximately 440 Aboriginal teaching staff in New South Wales Government schools and approximately 110 Aboriginal teachers in the New South Wales TAFE system. We support Aboriginal recruitment and training in a number of ways. For example, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Program identifies up to 50 teacher positions a year for Aboriginal teachers. This program provides priority employment for Aboriginal teachers. We also help support Aboriginal staff through programs including the Aboriginal Mentor Program and the Aboriginal Teachers Career Pathway Program.

    Other initiatives include an Aboriginal Teacher Visitation Program, with Aboriginal teachers currently assisting in promoting teaching at career fairs at universities and schools. The Aboriginal Teacher Visitation Program will promote teaching to Aboriginal secondary school students, with Aboriginal teachers visiting schools with high Aboriginal enrolments. Teachers will spend five days in a school to act as role models to Aboriginal students. They will encourage students to consider teaching as a career, advise students on teacher training pathways, and establish and support local-level mentoring relationships. The department is targeting a minimum of 25 pre-service teacher education scholarships for Aboriginal people in 2003. From 2004 at least 30 scholarships will be reserved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

    A program is being developed in collaboration with Charles Sturt University and the University of New England to establish and support links between these universities and schools in rural areas with significant Aboriginal student enrolments. The program will support Aboriginal secondary school students in years 8 and 9 to visit a local university campus to familiarise them with university life and to encourage them to consider tertiary education—and teaching—as career options. Accelerated teacher training programs target people who have prior TAFE or industry training, industry skills and experience who are interested in teaching mathematics, science or subjects in the technological and applied studies area in schools. Aboriginal applicants receive priority. There is still a way to go, but this Government is committed, as are all honourable members of this House, to not only celebrating NAIDOC Week but to providing positive programs to deliver betterment for Aboriginal members of the community.

    Mr CONSTANCE (Bega) [8.10 p.m.]: It is a great privilege for me to participate in this matter of public importance. This is an opportunity for all honourable members to reaffirm our commitment to the reconciliation process at a time when the Aboriginal community is celebrating its history and its cultural traditions. Reconciliation is an important concept. It seeks to bring people from vastly different communities, backgrounds and life experiences together in recognition of our common future and destiny. The push for reconciliation has been driven largely by Aboriginal people who have campaigned tirelessly to put the issues affecting indigenous communities on the political agenda and the community's agenda. National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee [NAIDOC] Week is a step in that process.

    This year's NAIDOC theme, "Our Children, Our Future", recognises the importance of ensuring the future rights of Aboriginal children, including their rights to good health, education and employment opportunities. All governments should respect this basic and obvious theme. On the eve of NAIDOC Week I will outline a number of key activities that will occur in the Bega electorate in the hope that the broader community will participate. In the Bega electorate various communities and towns will hold celebrations. In the town of Bega there will be a flag raising ceremony on Monday 7 July. At that ceremony totem poles will be unveiled in the Bega Valley Shire Council's Reconciliation Garden. The poles have been decorated by local Aboriginal artists and will form an important addition to the small garden that was established last year to mark the signing of a historical memorandum of understanding between local government and the local Aboriginal community.

    A presentation ceremony will recognise five participants in a local government Aboriginal traineeship program that concluded earlier this year. The trainees—Peter Boehme, Brandon Durante, Tait Farram, Erica Luff and Kathleen Clemson—are all employed full-time with the council in various areas, including the Eden Town Team, Sapphire Coast Tourism, the Bega library, and the council's department of environment, planning and development services. The trainees represent wonderful recognition of the contribution that Aborigines are making to local government. In the Bermagui area of the Bega Valley the Merrylands Local Aboriginal Lands Council has organised a sports day for families. There will be a ball in the community hall, boat rides on Wallagoot Lake in the Umburra boat and fishing trips. In Batemans Bay there will also be celebrations to recognise NAIDOC Week, beginning with a flag raising ceremony outside the Batemans Bay police station. It is also hoped that 1,000 people will take part in a harmony walk.

    The Coalition is committed to reconciliation and over many years in New South Wales has adopted a bipartisan approach to Aboriginal issues. The honourable member for Canterbury recognised the great warriors who have contributed to the steps forward in relation to reconciliation. I pay tribute to the late Bill Wentworth, who passed away last week. He was the first Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and he was the driving force behind the 1967 referendum. My point is that there are warriors of both indigenous and non-indigenous persuasions. Together we can be a powerful combination in advancing the causes of the Aboriginal community. In conclusion, as a person who edited and co-ordinated the compilation of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1996-97, I call on the State Government to continue the process of adopting as many of those recommendations as possible so that the numbers of Aboriginal suicides in our gaols can be reduced. [Time expired.]

    Ms MOORE (Bligh) [8.15 p.m.]: I add my voice to the bipartisan support for the National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance [NAIDOC] Week, which will be held from 6 to 13 July. Its theme is Our Children, Our Future. Indigenous children have the right to life, the right to good health, the right to protection, the right to education and the right to an adequate standard of living—and much more. Next week indigenous people will celebrate teaching children about their history, their culture and their proud heritage of struggle and achievement, and about being good role models and a moral example for children. Non-Aboriginal people will also need to be role models for tolerance, acceptance of cultural diversity, recognition of historic wrongs, and action to remove disadvantage and regain hope.

    In January 1940 the first Day of Mourning was called Aboriginal Sunday. In 1957 the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance of Aboriginal people and heritage. In 1957 the National Aborigines' Day Observance Committee was formed and in 1991 NADOC became known as NAIDOC to include Torres Strait Islanders. NAIDOC is now used widely to refer to all the events and celebrations during NAIDOC Week. I refer to the indigenous community in the Bligh electorate. The Gadigal people were decimated as a result of European settlement. In the 1940s a large Aboriginal population re-established itself in Redfern—people from many tribal groups and communities, and many of them squatted in disused slum houses.

    In 1973 the Commonwealth Government granted funds for land to the Aboriginal Housing Company. Now Redfern is one of Australia's most significant Aboriginal communities—symbolic, historical and helping to revitalise the recent movement for Aboriginal rights. There are also indigenous communities in Woolloomooloo, and in neighbouring areas such as Waterloo and Glebe, with strong links to Redfern. Local celebrations will be held in Redfern during NAIDOC Week. There will be a flag raising ceremony on Monday 7 July in Eveleigh Street, The Block, a Kids Disco at the Settlement Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday 9 July, and the Murawina Pre-school will have an open day on Thursday 10 July.

    Ceremonies and celebrations are important but what the local community needs is long- overdue action, as other speakers in this debate have said. The shocking facts and figures that have been presented to us by the honourable member for Canterbury, the first indigenous representative in this House, is another reason for us to collectively hang our heads in shame about events of the past. In response to my pressure for a strategic response to the entrenched social problems of the Redfern community, in March 2002 the Government established the Redfern-Waterloo Partnership Project. The Redfern-Eveleigh-Darlington strategy aims to improve the public domain, transport, housing, open space, employment and safety. It includes redevelopment by the Aboriginal Housing Company of The Block in the Eveleigh Street area, which has become degraded and has been partly demolished.

    However, the redevelopment of the Redfern area, particularly The Block, will be successful only if local elders and other indigenous people are part of the process. The revitalisation must include training and jobs for indigenous people, including programs based on sports, arts and culture, in which Aboriginal people have shown great creativity and expertise. There must be responsive education which allows indigenous students to learn in ways that suit their history and culture. The closure of Redfern Public School last year, in the face of opposition by the Aboriginal communities in Redfern, was shocking. I call upon the State Government to retain that land as a public site, so the potential remains for a community school.

    There must also be appropriate drug programs to help indigenous people deal with alcohol and drug abuse and to regain control of their lives. Appropriate housing is needed for large families with many visitors and for a mobile population. Indigenous youth needs help to stay out of gaol and to break the revolving door syndrome—the cycle of poverty, crime, violence and drug addiction that is common in Redfern and The Block area. Programs should be funded to help children live in a world where the mainstream is so different for them. All that action is needed for hope, and for the survival of the indigenous community. I hope that this Parliament will be able to say that is something we have achieved.

    Mr R. W. TURNER (Orange) [8.20 p.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to add bipartisan support for NAIDOC Week. I hope the celebration helps people to gain a better understanding of some of the problems of our indigenous communities. In Orange NAIDOC Week is celebrated by a march down the main street, Summer Street. Many Aboriginal families participate in the march, as do many non-Aboriginal people, community service groups and anyone else who is interested. A flag- raising ceremony is held in Cowra, which has a large Aboriginal population. Whilst some advances have been made in the advancement of indigenous people, there is still a long way to go. Programs have been introduced to help Aboriginal people, but often the organisers have hit brick walls when they try to get the Aboriginal people involved in them. It is regrettable that the Orange Aboriginal Land Council and the Boree Aboriginal Land Council are now basically defunct because of bad management and lack of support by the Aboriginal people. I do not know whether they will ever recommence operations.

    Aboriginal communities could seek help in the running of land councils. In Cowra the Erambie Estate, which is known locally as the mission and which I sometimes visit to assist Aboriginal families, continues to be a rather depressing place. We should get rid of that area altogether and relocate the families into mainstream Cowra. In Orange, Aboriginal families have been relocated into the mainstream community rather than into Department of Housing accommodation or an Aboriginal estate such as Erambie. Although there may be some initial apprehension when Aboriginal families move into an area, ultimately the vast majority of those families become good citizens and receive strong support from their neighbours.

    It is pleasing that some Aboriginal people have set up businesses. I acknowledge Les Powell, who has set up a building business. Les employs a number of young Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in his home-building business; he also does maintenance contract work for the Department of Housing. He is doing well. An Aboriginal Liaison Officer who is stationed at Orange police station helps those who are unfortunate enough to come under the notice of either the Cowra or Orange police. Although a number of Aborigines work in government departments and private enterprise, I am concerned that young children are not getting the education that is necessary to equip them for later life. Others share my concern.

    Education programs are in place but, unfortunately, the parents of young children do not sufficiently encourage the children to attend school on a reasonably frequent basis. The primary and high schools in Orange have special programs for Aboriginal and other disadvantaged young people who are not getting the education they need. Unless they get an education and develop a pride in themselves, it will be difficult to keep them out of trouble with the law. It will then become difficult to get them to lead a meaningful life. I certainly support NAIDOC Week and any programs that assist our Aboriginal communities through schools, TAFE colleges, universities or other facilities to build their esteem and pride.

    Ms BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby) [8.21 p.m.]: I speak about NAIDOC Week with enormous pride. As we all know, NAIDOC Week is the outcome of a long history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander efforts to bring issues of concern to the attention of government and the general public. This year's theme is "Our children, our future". Any community within the mainstream knows that self-esteem is extremely important. Indigenous Australians have much to be proud of and much to offer society. Instilling that in them at a young age will essentially ensure that they have a bright future. NAIDOC Week is also important because of the enormous challenges that face indigenous communities and indigenous Australians, be it in health, education, or other matters.

    It is also appropriate to focus on the positive contribution that indigenous Australians continue to make to the wider community. It goes without saying that 40,000 years of history has left an indelible mark on us. It is incumbent on society to acknowledge at every opportunity how fortunate we are to have amongst us the longest continuous surviving people on any continent. To me that is a matter of immense pride that I will continue to espouse and promulgate at every opportunity. As the elected representative for Willoughby, one of the first duties I conducted with Willoughby council was to attend the Guringal Festival, which is held during Reconciliation Week. It was fantastic to witness at first-hand the culture of the people who had settled in my part of Sydney many centuries ago. As the member for Willoughby I will do all I can to support the many non-indigenous community groups in the Willoughby electorate that support reconciliation efforts and work with indigenous Australians.

    I cannot stress enough the importance of education in instilling self-esteem in young people and pride in their culture. I urge governments of all persuasions to ensure that education initiatives for indigenous Australians are given a primary focus. When indigenous people have self-esteem and they are proud of their culture it gives them, a minority community, the extra strength that they need to face challenges in the broader community. In that vein I encourage an extension of the scholarships that were announced recently relating to school students. Education is the appropriate way of assisting members of our indigenous community to overcome the challenges with which they are faced. I reaffirm my support for NAIDOC Week. Indigenous communities in New South Wales must have an immense sense of pride now that the honourable member for Canterbury is a member of this House, and I acknowledge her presence in the Chamber.

    As the first member of Parliament with an Armenian background, I know what my becoming a member of this House meant to my community, so I can only imagine what the honourable member for Canterbury becoming a member of the House means to her community. NAIDOC Week gives children in indigenous communities an opportunity to learn from the many important role models they have in society. I reiterate my support for NAIDOC Week and for the community organisations in the Willoughby electorate that will be providing activities for indigenous Australians. I will commit myself, where possible, to supporting indigenous communities not only in the Willoughby electorate but throughout New South Wales.

    Mr TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [8.26 p.m.]: Like all other speakers in debate tonight, I support what has been said in relation to the matter of public importance raised by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs relating to NAIDOC Week. From a State perspective the Northern Tablelands electorate has a high proportion of indigenous Australians. During my time as the local member and as a former mayor of the city of Armidale, I have been proud of their achievements. I thank those many community organisations and councils that put together such a wonderful program for NAIDOC Week. The University of New England proudly boasts that it organises a number of activities during NAIDOC Week. Those activities have been held for many years and I am pleased that they are continuing.

    NAIDOC Week, which is as significant in my electorate as it is in the electorates of other honourable members, is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges to the provision of many basic services for Aboriginal people. As the local member, I have visited almost every Aboriginal community and organisation in my electorate. I still hear daily about the lack of basic services such as sewerage services. I recently visited a school at Tingha. Fifty-three per cent of the children who attend that school are indigenous students. Those students, who put on a fantastic show for me and for the delegation that visited the school with me, spoke to me about accessing basic services such as sewerage services. I do not want to be negative, but all honourable members should not forget the challenges that confront us. We must ensure that Aboriginal people have access to good education, jobs and basic services.

    I pay tribute to the late Pat Dixon, the former deputy mayor of Armidale. Pat was deputy mayor when I was mayor of Armidale. Pat and I attended a number of functions and she taught me a great deal about Aboriginal culture. She also introduced me to many community organisations with whom I am pleased to be able to continue to work today. I will remember until my dying day when the late Pat Dixon and I, as mayor and deputy mayor, raised the Aboriginal flag in Armidale. Armidale was the third council in New South Wales to do so. That flag still flies proudly at the Armidale-Dumaresq Council chambers. I fondly remember that occasion and still have a photograph of it in my electorate office.

    Aboriginal community organisations in Northern Tablelands are attempting to work together more closely. I had an opportunity to attend a meeting at Inverell Shire Council when 11 Aboriginal organisations came together for what I considered to be an historic signing of an agreement. I pay tribute to Tom Briggs in the Northern Tablelands electorate for his work in that regard. I watched those Aboriginal organisations sign a co-operation agreement. I was so motivated by that meeting that I have attempted to assist Tom Briggs to do the same thing in Armidale with 25 Aboriginal community organisations. I organised a meeting that was attended by almost all those organisations that are now close to signing an historic agreement in Armidale. A great deal of work has to be done. NAIDOC Week is a tremendous opportunity to reflect on just what has to be done. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to support the contributions of the Deputy Premier and other honourable members to this debate.

    Mr DRAPER (Tamworth) [8.31 p.m.]: I thank the House for giving me an opportunity to speak in the debate on a topic that is important to me, to the electorate of Tamworth and to the whole State. I listened closely to the contributions of other honourable members to the debate on NAIDOC Week celebrations. The electorate of Tamworth is celebrating the contribution of indigenous Australians to our culture and our history. Having spent five formative years of my life on what was known as the Walhallow Aboriginal Reserve, I am privileged to be able to contribute to the debate on this matter of public importance. Next Monday morning I will be speaking at a flag-raising ceremony hosted by Tamworth City Council on the main street of Tamworth. Council has long been a major supporter of indigenous communities in my electorate. That flag-raising ceremony, which will be attended by members of the Aboriginal community, signals the beginning of NAIDOC Week celebrations in the electorate.

    For just over two weeks Tamworth City Council will host an art exhibition of 60 photographs taken by award-winning photographer Penny Tweedle. Those photos of well-known and everyday indigenous Australians provide an insight into what they regard as the achievements, hopes, fears and aspirations of indigenous Australians in the past and in the future. The highlight of NAIDOC Week in Tamworth is a street march that is organised every year by Winangaali, an Aboriginal group that advises Tamworth City Council on indigenous issues. That march, which celebrates indigenous culture and history, is always well-attended by the indigenous community and other onlookers. That is proof that our indigenous communities are proud of where they have come from. It also highlights the partnerships that are being forged with the community as they look ahead.

    The street march will lead to a family fun day organised by a subcommittee of Winangaali and funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. The day is free to the community of Tamworth and its surrounds, with entertainment for the kids and a free barbecue lunch. It is a great Aussie way to celebrate the history of indigenous communities and their contribution to our electorate. It not just during NAIDOC Week that we in the Tamworth electorate celebrate the invaluable contribution of our indigenous community. In the three months since the State election I have worked closely with Coledale Community Centre, which was established near the centre of Tamworth's Aboriginal community. Recently I had the pleasure of hosting a visit to that centre by Her Excellency the Governor, Marie Bashir. The Governor remarked on the incredible pride that the Coledale indigenous community had in its culture and history.

    During her visit Her Excellency took time to talk with the Aboriginal community, from the elders of the community to their grandchildren. She saw for herself the lengths to which the community had gone to build relationships with the broader Tamworth community. The Governor expressed a keen desire to return to Tamworth and to meet again with members of the indigenous community at Coledale Community Centre. Anybody who visits our community centre will witness what the Governor saw during her visit of just over an hour.

    The community centre staff host regular events for the Aboriginal community and provide extensive support on health and cultural issues. I have been involved in some enlightening evening meetings at the community centre that have identified opportunities to bring Coledale closer to both the business and the education sectors in Tamworth. Coledale employs an Aboriginal community development worker, Mrs Trish Kearton, who works closely with the community. She plays a crucial role in developing the relationships that are so important for the ongoing wellbeing of our indigenous people.

    Tamworth has long recognised the importance of developing a strong, close relationship with our indigenous people, but it is by no means alone in this aim. The second-largest centre in my electorate, Gunnedah, will also hold NAIDOC Week celebrations, as will many smaller communities and schools. I encourage all residents in my electorate to get involved with these celebrations. There is a rich and important indigenous history across our State that we cannot ignore. Only by recognising it can we move forward and develop stronger relationships with this important sector of our community. I wish all indigenous people a happy and successful NAIDOC Week. Another aspect of the celebrations in Tamworth is the involvement of our local police and community youth club [PCYC] in the theme "Our Children, Our Future." I applaud the work of the PCYC with our indigenous youth. It has introduced some positive programs that are giving people self-esteem and identity. I am delighted to have been able to contribute to the discussion on this matter of public importance.

    Discussion concluded.


Last modified 05/12/2007 16:43:29   :   Update this page