Northern Beaches Council are divided on their opinion of establishing Aboriginal Advisory Committee. 

Earlier in the year, The Post covered Northern Beaches Council’s April meeting, wherein Mayor Sue Seins moved a Mayoral Minute for the CEO to produce a report on establishing an Aboriginal Community Advisory Group.

Since, Council received the CEO’s report and reconvened on the subject during the monthly meeting at the end of July.

Questions ensued from several the councillors, including Cr Walton, Cr Page, Cr De Luca, Cr Menano-Pires, Cr Ryburn, and Cr Gencher. Though, the answers left much to be desired, as the responses from Director Community & Recreation, David Kerr, were muddled, long running, and unclear.

It was stated that no community consultation has been conducted for the contents in the Mayoral Minute, that no structure is in place to measure how valuable the Advisory Committee would be for delivering on Aboriginal matters, and that $200,000 would be added to the budget to facilitate the group.

At Cr Gencher’s question of what an Aboriginal Advisory Committee would be able to achieve that the current structure in place does not, David Kerr responded, ‘The advice from Reconciliation Australia is that a reconciliation action plan working group is an important group to have to establish a reconciliation action plan.’

Confusion at the circular responses showed in the votes from councillors.

For Cr Walton’s amendment to note the report, and keep the status quo, Council was divided, and Mayor Sue Heins used her casting vote to declare the amendment lost.

For Mayor Heins’ motion to receive a report “identifying projects that can be delayed or deferred and approve the relocation of ongoing funding and resources”, while waiting for the results of the first and second quarter financials to see the funds available, and to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, Council was again divided. Mayor Heins used her casting vote to carry the motion.

Contributing to the division was an email from Chief Executive Officer from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, Nathan Moran, delivered to councillors and council staff.

‘Northern Beaches Council acknowledges that the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council as a statutory body under the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 for all aboriginal people, land, culture, heritage in the Northern Beaches Council area. Any consultation with individuals or groups other than through the MLALC has the effect of consulting individuals who erroneously self-identify as aboriginal without any authority or standing,’ reads the email from CEO Nathan Moran. ‘Given the clear and unambiguous provision of the ALR Act, we are perplexed as to why any aboriginal advisory group is required since there is a legal aboriginal heritage and cultural framework already in place. We don’t see a need for an aboriginal advisory group.’

Further discussions on the establishment of an Aboriginal Advisory Committee will be deferred to the new term of Northern Beaches Council.