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ANTaR acknowledges the long-standing leadership of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in addressing racism in Australia. Racism is a blight on our society and undermines our social cohesion. ANTaR has anti-racism as a core priority of our work and we have been proud and active members of the ‘Racism. It stops with me’ Campaign. We have previously worked closely with our partners and stakeholders across civil society to resist proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 that would have weakened protections against racism in Australia.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (‘UNDRIP’ or ‘the Declaration’) is an important declaration that articulates the rights of Indigenous peoples across the globe, rights to preserve and maintain control of their cultural heritage, and to pursue their own priorities for their development. The Declaration establishes a standard for the dignity and survival of Indigenous peoples of the world. The UNDRIP draws on existing international laws and conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relates the rights contained in these international instruments to Indigenous peoples across the globe. The rights cultivated by the UNDRIP include rights to self-determination, culture, identity, land, language, health, and education and employment.
ANTaR notes that should this Amendment Bill pass, Queensland (QLD) would join the Australian Capital Territory in being the leading jurisdictions in Australia to pursue this important legislative change. We appreciate the need to consider and deliberate the best way to protect young children from adverse and damaging interaction with the justice system, particularly incarceration, and the need of the justice system to continue serving and protecting the wider community.
ANTaR acknowledges the work of the Government to provide employment support and opportunities to Australia's First Nations peoples. Addressing the disparity in employment rates between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous people is critical in Closing the Gap. The Government has a responsibility to provide meaningful and effective employment support and follow through with the commitments to Australia's First Nations peoples.
ANTaR commends the Federal Government for introducing the Stolen Generations Redress Scheme for the First Nations Peoples of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Compensation for the generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, both children and their parents and families, is long overdue after the already all too slow formal Apology given in 2008.
ANTaR commends the ACT Government for being the leading jurisdiction in Australia to pursue this legislative change. We appreciate the need to weigh up the best way to protect young children from adverse and damaging interaction with the justice system, and particularly incarceration and the need to continue serving and protecting the wider community.
In this submission, ANTaR briefly recaps the environmental, social, cultural and economic objections commonly levelled against both Federal and Territory governments’ pursuit of this industry in the NT before addressing two specific concerns related to due process: adherence to all recommendations of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory 2018 Final Report; and recognition of the principle of informed prior consent to the Traditional Owners of the sites in question.
Acknowledges the research and stakeholder consultations undertaken to date, sets out options to find a pathway to meet the twofold goal of protecting the Fitzroy River in WA, and supporting sustainable economic development in its catchment area. Includes concerned feedback from our First Nations partners and stakeholders, about some ‘serious absences’ in the Discussion Paper.
Fundamentally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must have a Voice that speaks for their communities and that Voice must be heard in the chambers of Parliament Federally and in each State and Territory jurisdiction. The Voice must have agency, be respected for its authority and be quarantined from the political and financial undermining that have plagued previous national representative voices like the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and more recently the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
This submission, to inform the Australian Human Rights Commission's Social Justice Commissioner in her preparation of the 2021 Native Title Report. The ANTaR submission covers: Accountability & Legislation; Heritage & Environmental Protection; and, Treaty & Truth as they relate to the Native Title space in Australia.
This submission comments on: The interaction, of state indigenous heritage regulations with Commonwealth laws; The effectiveness and adequacy of state and federal laws in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage in each of the Australian
jurisdictions; How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage laws might be improved to guarantee the protection of culturally and historically significant sites; and related matters.
This submission comments on: The impact of systemic racism as evidenced by the disproportionate rates of incarceration. The need for solutions that are fundamentally conceived and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that are consistent with Australia’s international human rights obligations and draws on the strength and resilience of First Nations culture. Australian governments need also take appropriate and urgent actions to protect the lives of Australians with disability, especially in the context of COVID-19.
In this submission we support the development of future bushfire management practices should consider: The importance of engaging with First Nations Peoples in this inquiry and beyond; The value in using traditional and cultural fire management; and Understanding the vulnerability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in high
bushfire risk zones.
This submissions advocates against proposed amedments to Native Title legistation in the following areas: De-registration of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA); Commonwealth Intervention in native title proceedings; Amendments affecting RNTBCs and the CATSI Act – the power of the ORIC Registrar; Membership of PBCs and common law holders.
This submission comments on how the Uluru Statement from the Heart and it's pillars of Voice, Treaty and Truth interact with nationhood, national identity and democracy in Australia.
This submission comments on: Streamlining claims resolution and agreement-making processes; Supporting the capacity of native title holders through greater flexibility around internal decision-making; Increasing the transparency and accountability of prescribed bodies corporate (the corporations set up to manage native title) to the native title holders; Improving pathways for dispute resolution following a determination of native title; and Ensuring the validity of section 31 agreements in light of the Full Federal Court of Australia’s decision in McGlade v Native Title Registrar & Ors. [2017] FCAFC 10.
This submission by letter calls for the Indigenous Legal Assistance Program to: Start properly resourcing ATSILS; Map unmet legal need; and that NATSILS must be funded to expand.
This submission calls for the refresh of the Closing the Gap Strategy to be developed with the following principles in mind:
Based on a genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; the core commitments made in the 2008 Close the Gap Statement of Intent; and a human rights-based approach
Commit the Federal, State and Territory governments to providing annual reports that give account to their specific responsibilities
Retain the existing national targets, but with State and Territory level targets and the introduction of new targets in the areas of justice, disability and racism
Be supported by a comprehensive plan that outlines roles, responsibilities, timeframes and resourcing.
At times of state or federal elections in Australia ANTaR often asseses how well the policies political parties are putting to the electorate actually assist or impact First Nations peoples.