Media Releases

The Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement has a long history of supporting land rights legislation in South Australia. Not only do ALRM give assistance to the Pitjantjatjara Council in the formation of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act in its original form, but the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement has consistently made submissions to government supporting the APY Land Rights Act through the various amendments which have taken place over the years.

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There is legislation proposed for tomorrow (Tuesday 2 December 2014) in the South Australian Parliament to make major changes to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 (APY Land Rights Act). This Act is the legacy of the Don Dunstan reformist government.

The effect of these changes is that the Minister will be able to suspend the democratically elected APY Executive Board for ‘any reason, he or she thinks fit’ and appoint an Administrator. It means that the state government can seize control of the APY Lands at any time and without regard to the wishes of Anangu, who own the land. These changes will reduce the self-determination for Anangu embedded in the original Act, to a toothless tiger, effectively turning the clock back 30 years to the days of “…the Aboriginal Superintendent.”

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APY strenuously denies claims in The Australian today, 27 November 2014 that Bernard Singer, the Chairman of APY, misused public money and that Lesley Johns, the Interim General Manager, stood to benefit from the sacking of Bruce Deans as General Manager. APY will vigorously defend the proceedings Mr Deans has brought in the Supreme Court.

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