MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

National Apology to the Stolen Generations: 16th Anniversary

Federation Chamber, Australian Parliament House

3 July 2024

I spoke originally more about the apology, but, since that time in February, I want to update the House on some additional measures we've made in the Environment and Water portfolio that add to our efforts to close the gap. No-one knows our land and seas better than First Nations people, who have more than 65,000 years of experience in caring for country. As the Minister for the Environment and Water, there is so much I have learned from First Nations people, but there is also so much more to do to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

In the more than two years that I've been the Minister for the Environment and Water, I believe we've been making real progress in our Commonwealth efforts on the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. I want to begin with a few words on what we've done in the Water portfolio. The Albanese Labor government is delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full. As part of that, we're making sure that the voices and values of First Nations people are heard. Last month, on 22 June, we launched a world-leading water ownership program for First Nations people in the Murray-Darling Basin, delivering an election commitment.

Under the Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program, the government has made $100 million available to buy water in the basin, with First Nations representatives to determine how that money is spent. The program has been developed in close partnership with First Nations representatives from across the basin to ensure that it supports the cultural, economic, social and environmental needs of First Nations people. The program was announced first in 2018, with a $40 million commitment from the former government. That money was never spent. The Albanese Labor government has turned this around, increasing the program's funding to $100 million as part of a broader effort to strengthen the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023. First Nations communities have cared for Murray-Darling Basin rivers for thousands of years but have largely, to date, been excluded from managing and owning water. The Albanese Labor government's $100 million Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program begins to reverse that legacy and recognises the lasting and deep connection of First Nations people with water.

The Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program will contribute directly to a national inland waters target, being developed under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This target is intended to increase the level of ownership of inland water access entitlements by First Nations organisations across the country. First Nations Australians own and control less than 0.2 per cent of our surface water entitlements. We're now working with the states to increase ownership and control with First Nations people. My department has reinstated the Inland Waters Target Working Group. The working group has delegates from each state and territory jurisdiction, with membership also including the Coalition of Peaks, the Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests and the National Indigenous Australians Agency. I expect it won't be too long before the inland waters target will be formally added to the national agreement. But our government's progress on the Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program demonstrates that I'm already taking action to increase water ownership and the economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits that come from that.

Our work on water ownership is complemented by the $150 million commitment to regional and remote First Nations water supplies. This contributes to the Closing the Gap target of providing essential services by delivering safe and reliable water in First Nations communities. Poor water security of both quality and supply of course has negative impacts on health and wellbeing. This is another area that when we came into government had not received the attention that it deserved. We've addressed this area as a matter of urgency.

The $150 million commitment is providing safe and reliable drinking water that meets those fundamental health, wellbeing and overall quality-of-life outcomes that we want for all Australians. Improved water infrastructure can support economic growth. It can create opportunities for local employment, education and training along with cultural tourism and opportunities for improved health services delivered on country. Of course, very importantly, you can't build more housing if you don't have adequate water supply in towns, so improving water supplies in remote communities allows the building of additional housing.

The Australian government has already allocated $75.9 million of the initial $150 million investment, and the bulk of those projects are already underway. I won't go through the whole list of them, but here are just a few examples: $13 million is being provided for Maningrida, on the central Arnhem coast in the Northern Territory. The project will include a new water tank to expand storage capacity alongside pipes that connect the network. More than 90 per cent of those pipes in Maningrida have already been made. Another example is in Milingimbi, off the coast of Arnhem Land. The Australian and Northern Territory governments are investing $11 million to improve access to reliable water sources. That investment will find new bores for that community. It's very obvious what that means for improvements in drinking water. It's obvious what it means for being able to provide remote dialysis in communities that previously haven't had it. Milingimbi is a good example of what it does for social impact beyond water. The investment in water has meant that 32 existing homes can be expanded and another 32 homes can be added to the community, thus helping us close the gap on housing.

There's still more work to be done on housing to meet the target, but progress of course is tracking in the right direction. Nationally in 2021, 81.4 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were living in appropriately sized—that is, not overcrowded—housing, up from 78.9 per cent in 2016.

Another area where we've been making very important progress towards the Closing the Gap targets is in the Indigenous Protected Areas program. The Indigenous Protected Areas program is jointly managed by my department and the National Indigenous Australians Agency. The IPA provides a recognised framework for First Nations communities to combine traditional and contemporary knowledge to manage their land and sea country and provide employment, education and training opportunities for First Nations people. The Australian government is investing $231½ million over five years to continue to expand the IPA program. IPA delivers environmental, cultural and social and economic benefits that follow an agreed plan. The plans include cultural site management, threatened species monitoring and protection, habitat restoration, biodiversity surveys, marine debris removal, weed and pest animal management, fire management, tourism and visitor management, and education, including cross-generational knowledge sharing.

We know IPAs are important for regional and remote development, particularly increasing employment for First Nations people. Continuing to invest in these programs and expand the IPA program is having a terrific positive impact in the Closing the Gap work. The IPA program draws on First Nations knowledge and expertise to better protect and conserve Australia's environment. They're better for the environment, better for local jobs and better for local culture. Last year, we expanded the IPA program with another $14½ million to add 10 more IPAs across Australia.

I also wanted to mention the extra investment in the very successful Indigenous Rangers Program. We're investing $1.3 billion to support the ranger program, including another $359 million to double the number of Indigenous rangers from 1,900 to 3,800 to help manage feral animals and weeds, support threatened species and better manage our land and sea country. One of the best things about the Indigenous Rangers Program is that it provides terrific work for people, including in very remote parts of Australia, and that money that goes with those jobs stays in those communities and generates even more employment for people who are working in those communities and other roles.

Our work on cultural heritage law reform is also proceeding. We're working very closely with the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance and other stakeholders to strengthen our cultural heritage laws so we'll never again see a repeat of what happened in Juukan Gorge. The current partnership agreement with the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance is being extended with a new agreement for an extended partnership. As a report on Closing the Gap states, 'The gap is not a natural phenomenon.' We will do our best in the environment and water portfolios to put that gap behind us.

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