Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to convey my continued support for the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council in my electorate and to inform the House of the attack of New South Wales Labor Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on this fantastic, self-sufficient and well-respected group of people. Milton Orkopoulos has appointed an administrator over the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council. I understand the administrator is now calling for the appointment of a receiver to the Darkinjung Trust. This move would effectively prevent the group’s delivery of funeral fund, housing, youth, child-care, aged care, education and project services currently being delivered.

If successful, the move would also prevent the trust from helping to defend Darkinjung from these attacks. Previous attacks have forced legal costs of almost $1 million over the last couple of years. Through hard work, some good fortune, astute investment and excellent management, Darkinjung has been able to become independent of government grants and move away from welfarism to become a model of self-determination. Why this concerted Labor attack? This decision by Milton Orkopoulos is a disgraceful one. It is nothing more than a vicious attack on the Darkinjung people, who deserve the minister’s appreciation for their significant contribution to the local area.

The Darkinjung people have shown they are able to successfully operate a diverse range of innovative programs. I was delighted recently to officially launch the funeral fund, an important initiative of Darkinjung which I have commended in the parliament on a previous occasion. The funeral fund gives Aboriginal people on the Central Coast access to a low-cost, immediate cover funeral fund that provides for culturally sensitive funerals. It means that members’ families no longer need to struggle or do without adequate funeral arrangements for their loved ones.

This is not the only service to be provided through an initiative of Darkinjung. The Darkinjung Cattle Company last financial year exported over $1 million worth of beef to Japan, returning almost 20 per cent of the total Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council investment in its first year of operation. The cattle company provides much needed scholarships for the further education of Darkinjung’s promising young people and is instrumental in skills development within the beef industry for other local land council members. A proposal also exists to agist 60 head of cattle on a Pioneer Dairies site at Tuggerah to provide educational opportunities for young people.

Many communities are forced, through low incomes, poverty and insufficient access to government grant funds, to rely on welfare or shared responsibility agreements to put in place even basic services. Darkinjung is not one of these communities. Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council is premised on helping people to help themselves, but the Labor state government are penalising them for delivering independence and self-determination. What is their motive? Is it a scam to get the funds they obtained from selling land at North Entrance? It would be a real tragedy if Darkinjung were no longer able to provide its vital community services. I can only hope that attempts to thwart this hardworking group of people are unsuccessful.

I ask the Labor members opposite to urge the New South Wales Premier to take a break from photo opportunities when he visits the Central Coast. He should have a look at these situations and listen to real people, not just stand in front of the cameras and announce water grants that Malcolm Turnbull announced a month ago. The Premier certainly believes in recycling, but all he is recycling is previous federal government programs.

Milton Orkopoulos once sneered in the New South Wales parliament that I would be a one-term wonder. Milton, I am not a one-term wonder. I am here to support the people of Dobell and to support the local Aboriginal land council in their quest. To freeze their funds so that they cannot defend themselves is an absolute disgrace.