Agale, Maurice --- "Stirrings: Report on the 'Netat Buai' Conference" [1997] IndigLawB 107; (1997) 4(7) Indigenous Law Bulletin 23

• Report On The 'Netat Buai' Conference

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Report on the 'Netat Buai' Conference

by Maurice Agale

The 'Netat Buai' ('in unity and solidarity towards autonomy') conference, held in Rockhampton from 22-25 September 1997, was the seventh such National Torres Strait Islanders Seminar/Workshop. Organised by the Wongai Torres Strait Islander Corporation, it attracted approximately 150 Torres Strait Islanders from around Australia. The six topics listed on the conference's agenda were Greater Autonomy, the establishment of the National Secretariat of Torres Strait Islander Organisations, native title, economic development, customary adoption, and education/culture. The conference consisted mainly of both presentations, and reports back from smaller workshops.

Information about the proposal for greater autonomy was presented to the conference on the first day of the conference by a panel of three: Mr Lou Lieberman, Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and author of Torres Strait Islanders: A New Deal - A Report on Greater Autonomy for Torres Strait Islanders; Mr John Abednego, Chair of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), and Mr Terry Waia, Chair of the Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board.

Delegates expressed great concern over the precise nature of the reforms proposed by the Standing Committee's report (see 'Torres Strait Islanders: a new deal for whom?' by Kevin Smith and Gary Lui on page 10 of this issue). At the workshops. Islanders were particularly vocal about excluding Queensland government involvement in the Torres Strait region altogether, as most services in the region already being provided by the Federal government in any event. One reason was because of the international border shared with Papua New Guinea; it was felt that it would be more appropriate to have the national, as opposed to state, government working in matters involving foreign governments. Some suggested that whilst the Queensland government contributed little materially to the Torres Strait region, it wished to remain involved there because it sees the Torres Strait as a valuable fishing resource. Some delegates suggested that the Commonwealth might use the races powers voted to it in the 1967 referendum as a way of excluding the Queensland government from interference in the Strait.

Discussion of the newly-established National Secretariat for Torres Strait Islander Incorporated Organisations took up the second day. The Secretariat's aim, as its name suggests, is to provide non-government national representation on issues of importance to Torres Strait Islanders, wherever they live. Its Board is to consist of delegates from incorporated Torres Strait Islander bodies all over mainland Australia, though homelands bodies are encouraged to join if they wish. (The Secretariat will possibly be changing its name in the near future.) Although establishment money for the group came from ATSIC, it is thought that one of the Secretariat's roles will be to support Torres Strait groups on the mainland to obtain funding through ATSIC.

Native title issues were discussed on the third day Some mainland delegates expressed their opinion that they are being excluded from access to their traditional lands through zoning laws which require a person to be a resident on an island for 2 years continuously before being permitted to build a house. In contrast, residents of the Torres Strait see such zoning laws as a way of protecting their own lands and empowering themselves. These decisions by community councils are reinforced by the Queensland government. The only other way of obtaining land in the Torres Strait is through DOGIT grants; but even these must be first scrutinised by local council;. There were also concerns expressed that people are not properly briefed about the nature of land titles they obtain. For example, some people assume leasehold titles exist in perpetuity, and can be handed down through the family on their death.

Customary adoption, economic development and culture/education topics were covered on the final day of the conference (see 'Slow progress: The legal recognition of Torres Strait Islander customary adoption practice' by Paul Ban on page 11 of this issue).

There will be a further report on this conference in an upcoming issue of the Indigenous Law Bulletin