The Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research and ANTAR are partnering to host a NSW Treaty Forum prior to the NSW State Election, and invite you to join us on Wednesday 15 March 2023 (10am-4pm) at the University of Technology, Sydney.
The NSW Treaty Forum will explore the issues of process, representation, negotiation, nation building, sovereignty, and other critical issues of relevance to the consideration of Treaty in NSW.
This will be an invitation only event and we are inviting you to join the forum and participate throughout the day. If you are able to attend, please RSVP here.
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Speakers
Larissa Behrendt Eualeyai/Kamillaroi woman, she is the Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology, Sydney.
She has a LLB and B.Juris from UNSW and a LLM and SJD from Harvard Law School. Larissa has a legal background with a strong track record in the areas of Indigenous law, policy, creative arts, education and research.
She has held numerous judicial positions and sat on various community and arts organisation boards. Larissa is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia and a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. Larissa is an award-winning author and filmmaker. She was the 2009 NAIDOC Person of the Year and 2011 NSW Australian of the Year.
Geoff Scott is a Wiradjuri man from Narromine in NSW with more than thirty years of experience working in Aboriginal Affairs.
Geoff’s previous positions include: CEO of the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council; CEO of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples; CEO of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council; Director General NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs; and Deputy CEO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Geoff was the Executive Officer to the Referendum Council and was a key leader throughout the Uluru Dialogue process.
Jamie Lowe, a proud Gundjitmara Djabwurrung man, first joined the National Native Title Council (NNTC) as Chair in 2017.
Two year later, he was appointed CEO, charged with supporting First Nation’s people’s right to true self-determination, advocating for their right to speak for and manage their own Country; to govern their own communities; to participate fully in decision making and to self-determine their own social and economic development.
As a key influencer, Jamie firmly believes that creating economic independence and maintaining and growing cultural identity are vital in creating a self-determining nation of First Nations peoples.
David is the Labor Member for Wyong in the NSW Parliament.
David was first elected as the Member for Wyong in March 2007 until 2011 when the seat was lost. David has also held several Shadow Portfolio’s during his time in Parliament with his most recent portfolio’s being Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Investment and Tourism.
In 2015 David had the opportunity to run again for the seat of Wyong and was successful where he has remained working hard for the people in his electorate and the whole of the Central Coast.
David was born and raised on the Central Coast and continues to reside here raising two daughters with his wife Sherelle.
Lynda-June Coe (she/her) is a proud Wiradjuri and Badu Island woman from Erambie,
Cowra NSW.
She is an educator, activist, and PhD student at Macquarie University where her research focus explores Indigenous resurgence and refusal in settler colonial ‘Australia’.
Lynda-June is currently the Family Wellbeing and Campaign Manager for the Dhadjowa Foundation supporting First Nations families who have been impacted by deaths in custody.
Over the past twenty years, she has engaged in community-led activism co-organising and supporting various campaigns such as ‘Water is Life’ Climate Action, Black Lives Matter, stop Aboriginal deaths in custody and stop the forced removal of Aboriginal children. She is also a member of the Greens NSW and is currently a candidate for the NSW Legislative Council in the 2023 state election.
Professor Lindon Coombes is a descendant of the Yuallaraay people of north-west NSW and has over 25 years of experience working across a range of sectors in Aboriginal affairs.
He has held senior executive positions in the NSW Government and has been CEO of Aboriginal owned and controlled organisations.
Lindon has also been a Senior Advisor for successive Ministers holding the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio in NSW. He has extensive experience in Indigenous policy development and engagement. He was most recently a Director in PwC’s Indigenous Consulting and is now Director of Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.
Professor Jack Beetson is a Ngemba man from western New South Wales who has been involved in Indigenous education and Aboriginal affairs for over 30 years.
He is Executive Director of The Literacy for Life Foundation, an Aboriginal organisation that coordinates a community-led approach to improving adult literacy. Jack’s other education roles have included President of the Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers, Executive Director Tranby Aboriginal College, member of the UTS Council, adjunct Professor at University of New England (UNE), and member of the UNSW Advisory Council, Arts and Social Sciences.
In 2018 Jack received an honorary doctorate from UNE and in 2019 he became the first Indigenous Australian to be inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. He is one of 12 people worldwide to have received a United Nations Unsung Hero Award.
In 2022 he received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Award at the UTS Alumni Awards. Jack is Chair of Just Reinvest NSW and sits on the Federal Government’s Foundation Skills Advisory Group and the Referendum Engagement Group.
Michael Lavarch AO holds directorships on a range of boards and has expertise in areas of public policy, corporate governance, regulatory frameworks and strategic directions.
He is a member of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body in Queensland and has worked on the Queensland treaty process since July 2019.
Michael was the Attorney General in the Keating Government, and served in public office at the Federal level and in local government. Highlights of his achievement in public life included oversighting the establishment of the native title regime, improvements to Australia’s human rights laws and more reforms to corporate law and securities markets.
He has maintained strong links with the legal profession through his time as Secretary-General of the Law Council of Australia and as Executive Dean of the QUT Law Faculty. His Board roles have been the finance, energy, and not for profit sectors. Michael has conducted numerous reviews for government and is actively involved in film making through Lavarch Productions.