Dave Tollner (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very honoured to be standing here today speaking to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Bill 2007, as it is yet another step in improving opportunities for Indigenous people on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory. Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory are not that different from the rest of us. Aborigines want jobs. They want schooling for their children. They want access to good health services. They want proper roads. They want their rubbish collected. They want access to a whole range of services that are provided by the private sector: butchers, bakers, hairdressers and fruit and vegie shops. They want access to a range of services that most of us in Australia take for granted. Under the current system, a lot of that is not possible.

This amendment bill seeks to establish an office of Executive Director of Township Leasing to enter into and administer township leases on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory. The township leasing scheme was established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and enables Aboriginal landowners to issue long-term leases over their land to promote economic development. It allows them to promote those things that most of us take for granted in mainstream Australia: the ability to have a grocery shop, a hairdresser, a butcher’s shop, a proper school, proper health services and proper roads on their land. The bill specifies the functions of the Executive Director of Township Leasing for appointment by the Governor-General. The bill also provides for the terms and conditions under which the executive director will hold office, the way in which the executive director may obtain the assistance of staff and consultants and reporting procedures for the executive director.

Debate interrupted.

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