‘Weaponising the law’ - Respected elder on land claims ⚖️

0:00Lots of feedback coming in right now about the 2GB breakfast exclusive three more famous Sydney sites subject to Aboriginal land claims. It follows the story we broke here on Friday about Bondi icebergs being targeted. And now we can add three more popular addresses to the never-ending list of land claim sites. 44,000 plus are unresolved in New South Wales alone. So the three we've revealed this morning, Justin Hemie's Club Rose Bay, St Michael's Golf Club in Little Bay, and Matt Reville RSL affectionately known as Club Mato. If you're a member of Club Mato or St Michael's Golf Club in Little Bay or a regular at Club Rose Bay, we'd love to hear from you this morning. Our number one three one eight seven three Simon says the new Castle Post Office, a beautiful old building was claimed by the Aboriginal land council then they sold it off to a Japanese developer. Sam says when is enough enough before things turn ugly. And that says why these land

1:02claims in the most expensive areas. Well, it wasn't always that way to be fair. Now Roy RC has got a view on this issue. He's a Ragerie elder and former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal land council and Roy's on the line. Get a Roy. Oh Ben, thanks for having me on your program interesting interesting morning. Yeah, when we revealed on Friday that one of the targets of an Aboriginal land claim is Bondi icebergs that's made news right across the country. What do you make of that news? Plus what we've shared this morning that Club Rose Bay St Michael's Golf Club and Matt Reville RSL are also being targeted. Yeah, look, if I just for the benefit of your listeners that may not understand the legislation that's been around since 1983 it was a it was introduced to Parliament and passed the parliament way back in 83 and the land rights legislation was set up for compensation recompense with dispossession of land right and and a part of that provision of

2:03the legislation was the ability to claim vacant crown land unused vacant crown land and that that was it's intent to be to hear that these these places have been a subject to a land claim is really really it's concerning for me as the former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council because that was never the intent and Ben you only have to look at orange local Aboriginal land council. Orange went for a process in partnership with the government, the minister in Crown Lands where they all sat in a room and the local council and and they said orange said no we don't want to put a claim on the civic center we don't want to put a claim on on on this sporting precinct we don't want to put a claim on this oval because we live in the community our our young kids you know our Aboriginal families they use the soccer labels they use the footy labels they're a part of the community so for me to hear that these claims are gone on these

3:08significant places I think it's not it's not it's not using the legislation in in the spirit of what what it was meant to do then so I can understand why people are upset and concerned because it was never it was it was never that intention. Yeah well I don't want to sound like Dennis De Nudeau on the castle that lawyer who got up in the high court and spoke about the vibe but the vibe of the legislation was vacant and unused land and last time I checked Roy Justin Hemie's club rose Bay St Michael's Golf Club in Little Bay in Matriville, RSL are not vacant. No exactly and and the look I've got to I've got to give the minister you know the minister for Crown Lands I've got to give you means recognition you come in you come out to orange we're on request to Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council said minister we need to talk to you about these these changes that your introduction introducing to the the legislation any come

4:14out there any broke bread with orange he sat down and he listened to orange and he took on board our our amendments and any you know any defense or all in support of him he's now trying to fix by an Aboriginal land agreement. Yeah but the the the more been orange did the right thing Roy because they could see that these were community assets used by all people indigenous and non-indigenous and they should remain that way. Correct correct so I just for the life of me Ben I don't know what what this this local Aboriginal land council was thinking in relation to you know going down this path because it doesn't help anyone weaponising the legislation doesn't help anyone it doesn't help our people it doesn't help our communities it doesn't it doesn't you know contribute to economic empowerment where we can take vacant Crown land and and be able to try to build an economic base from it Ben where we can create jobs and and businesses for our people

5:15you know I know local Aboriginal land council up north that pulled it with with through a land claim so that they can put 500 hours for socially and affordable housing on the land and we now know Roy that the La Parouse local Aboriginal land council has lodged claims on every surf club on the eastern beaches of Sydney so oh look that that that's just you know that that's not good enough that that really that really really surprises me Ben as a you know as an Aboriginal person and the former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council I'd be or you know the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council whilst they they they have no no control over local Aboriginal land council but surely the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council can reach out and just say look come on let's let's have a conversation about this this this is not this this is not good you know you don't you can't you can't claim community assets like I did in Orange where we said we don't

6:16want the civics and we don't want this they actually pulled a claim so that can build a uh a football stadium out of Orange you know and there's good examples of of what can happen and and win win for everyone Ben yeah we need to go back to the spirit of the Crown's Crown Lands Act as opposed to some of these technicalities that are being exploited at the moment by some Aboriginal Land Councils Roy it's always good to hear you a take particularly as a former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council thank you so much no thanks for your time Ben I understand you can turn and yeah let's let's hope it gets resolved thank you good man Roy RC the We're Agri Elder tomorrow on the show we'll speak to a CEO whose industry is also impacted by this and then later this week we will be joined by the Minister Steve Camp alive in studio like what you're hearing make sure you've subscribed to Ben Fordham