Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources. Last year traditional owners on the Tiwi Islands won a landmark case in the Federal Court. The victory guaranteed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders the right to be consulted about offshore oil and gas projects which impact their homes and culture. However, in a meeting this week, Tiwi Islanders expressed to me the fear that the government will water down the required consultation process. In this year of the Voice, will the minister rule out the watering down of these consultation requirements?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. I also want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the Tiwi Islands and their connection to their land and sea country. I've been very clear on this issue for some time now. It is the government's position that all corners of industry, including the oil and gas sector, must genuinely consult with First Nations peoples as part of the regulatory approvals processes. All people, including First Nations people, have the right to be consulted on activities that impact them. They have a right for their voice to be heard. This was made clear by the Federal Court's judgement, and the government does accept that finding, which is the court case that you referred to. We are not looking to change that at all.

In the last budget, the government invested $12 million for a comprehensive review of Australia's offshore oil and gas environmental regulations, with a particular focus on consultation outcomes, including for First Nations people. We want to ensure better consultation with First Nations peoples. We want to make that a feature of the regulatory system, and we are working solidly toward that outcome. We know that there has been a distressing lack of genuine consultation and collaboration with First Nations Australians for more than two centuries in this country, and we aim to fix that.