WITTENOOM STEERING
COMMITTEE — BANJIMA NATIVE TITLE ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
1158. Hon Dr BRAD PETTITT to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Lands:
I refer to Minister Carey's
meeting with the Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation on 3 August 2022,
and subsequent correspondence sent to Minister Carey's chief of staff
on 17 August 2022.
(1) Has the minister or his staff
since responded to BNTAC's —
(a) questions in
the briefing document sent on 25 July 2022 prior to the meeting on 3 August, at
which a response was promised shortly; or
(b) follow-up email sent to the
minister's chief of staff on 17 August?
(2) Has an
invitation to join the re-established Wittenoom steering committee been
extended to BNTAC; and, if so, on what date was it sent?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) Has the Wittenoom steering committee been
re-established; and, if not, when can we expect this to happen?
The PRESIDENT: I was about to
comment on the length of the question. I give the call to the Deputy Leader of the
House.
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
Thanks, President. You will be
pleased to know that the answer is more succinct. I answer on behalf of the Leader
of the House. I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.
The following information is provided on behalf of the Minister for Lands.
(1)–(4) The
Minister for Lands met with the Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation and
advised at that time that a number of the questions related to historical
actions undertaken by previous governments and ministers over many decades,
which could not be responded to. Further, a large number of matters were not
within the responsibility of the Minister for Lands. BNTAC was additionally
advised that a number of matters were best
considered as part of the Wittenoom steering committee. The Department of
Planning, Lands and Heritage intends to reconvene the Wittenoom steering
committee in late 2022. BNTAC has been advised that it will form part of the
steering committee.