Committee Chair Ian West said the interim report will attempt to “come to grips” with some of the key themes that have emerged. “There are the important issues of ownership, respect and the equality of the partnership between the Indigenous community and the government,” Mr West said. “It’s becoming fairly obvious people need to feel empowered. If they have powers and dual ownership then they have respect.”

Commissioned by the NSW Minister for Indigenous Affairs Paul Lynch, the Committee received more than 70 submissions from people around the state including residents and organisations in Penrith, Kempsey, Dubbo, Nowra and Redfern.

The Redfern public hearing on April 30 was attended by the Aboriginal Housing Company, NSW Health, the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Babana Men’s Group and The Settlement Neighbourhood Centre.

The Committee was notably sympathetic to the requests for a removal of the needle bus near the Redfern Community Centre and the AHC’s frustration in getting the green light for their Pemulwuy Project.

AHC CEO Mick Mundine said he received sympathetic support at last year’s public hearing. “We’ve been down this road before,” Mr Mundine said after the hearing. “Nothing came out of it last year but I’ve got a better feeling from this one now we’ve got our DA in. We’ll fight it to the end.”

Whether the Committee can play a role in achieving an end for the AHC will become more transparent when they submit their final report in December, having revisited communities and consulted on recommendations. The power to act resides with the three Labor party members in the six-person committee who could potentially de-rail pro-AHC recommendations.

Mr West said his committee has clout, but the ultimate decision on the inquiry’s recommendations would reside with current ministers. “We are an upper-house standing committee,” Mr West said. “We make recommendations to government and it’s up to them to accept or reject. I have a lot of faith in this government and the current minister for Indigenous affairs.”

On the AHC he said: “There is a lot of sympathy for the Housing Company. The area is extremely iconic and the committee is mindful of the importance of its history to the Indigenous community.”

The committee comprises Labor’s Mick Veitch, Greg Donnelly and Ian West, the Liberal’s Marie Ficarra, the Nationals’ Trevor Khan and the Greens’ John Kaye.

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Key hearing points:

Aboriginal Housing Company

• Concept DA for Pemulwuy Project has received conditional approval from Department of Planning. DoP awaiting $60,000 administration fee to be paid.
• Outlined its charity, not-for-profit status regarding the fee, and that is already under-funded, receiving no government assistance. AHC said $5 million in pro bono work was involved in compiling the concept DA.
• Said the Pemulwuy Project is realisable and will empower Aboriginal people in the area and become an iconic historical venue.
• Called for the removal of the needle bus near the Redfern Community Centre.

NSW Health

• Reported on success of the dental program for Koori Kids and the Mums and Bubs program.
• Reported on the reduction in smoking levels from 46 per cent of the indigenous population in 2001-05 to 29.6 per cent in 2006-07. Result attributed to education.
  

Aboriginal Medical Service

• Reported on the difficulty in attracting Aboriginal medical graduates to the AMS, due to low salaries. Only four out of 75 recent Aboriginal medical graduates have worked for the AMS.
• Called for establishment of a NSW Aboriginal Health Act and an Aboriginal Affairs Commission.
• Called for 10 per cent of seats in state parliament to be dedicated to Aboriginal MPs as observed in New Zealand.

Babana Men’s Group

• Reported monthly meetings were attracting 50-60 Aboriginal men, most of them fresh out of gaol.
• Requested land to base itself, as its current location on Lawson Street is not secure.
• Said much of its focus is on the men from the stolen generation who are on the ‘outer’.
• Said the area desperately needed housing for Aboriginal people.
  

The Settlement Neighbourhood Centre

• Coordinator Michael Gravenor to leave soon for personal health reasons.
• Said the needle bus was a double-edged sword as he had known 86 men and women who had died in the area from intravenous drug use in the last seven years.
• Said housing would go a long way to helping people in the area.

Photo: Ali Blogg - Mick Mundine