NSW government slammed for secrecy on Aboriginal land claims

Sydney’s first Indigenous councillor has lashed out at the Perrottet government for its secretive handling of Aboriginal Land Claims, accusing the government of trying to “hide its shame”.

The City of Sydney’s first Aboriginal councillor has accused the government of trying to “hide its shame” on Aboriginal Land Claims by keeping them secret.

As previously revealed by The Daily Telegraph, land claims are being negotiated under the cover of darkness, with bureaucrats refusing to release information about what land is subject to a claim from local Indigenous groups.

City of Sydney Councillor and Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council deputy chair Yvonne Weldon has slammed the state government for keeping the details secret, suggesting the move is designed to hide from scrutiny.

“Perhaps the state government is trying to hide its shame,” she told the Telegraph.

Ms Weldon said that keeping details of Aboriginal Land Claims secret works to discourage Indigenous groups from making claims on their traditional land. She also criticised “serious flaws” in the system which she labelled “slow and … under-resourced”.

Yvonne Weldon has lashed out at the Perrottet government for trying to “hide its shame” on Aboriginal Land Claims. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“Nearly 70 per cent of all claims lodged with the NSW government in the last 40 years are still awaiting a decision,” she said.

“A lot of the general public would be outraged if they knew of this. There needs to be greater transparency and accountability.”

The comments come after One Nation Leader Mark Latham also criticised secrecy surrounding land claims in the City of Sydney.

As the Telegraph revealed this week, 21 Aboriginal land claims have been lodged on crown land in the City of Sydney to date.

Of those, 12 were refused, one withdrawn, and eight still being investigated.

Details of those land claims have so far been kept secret.

21 Aboriginal land claims have been lodged on crown land in the City of Sydney.

The Office of the Registrar for the Aboriginal Lands Rights Act, which maintains a Land Claims Register, refused to give further details when asked.

Members of the public can ask the Registrar to search the register to check whether specific land is subject to a land claim, but the information is not freely available.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Franklin said that land councils have access to the information.

“The Land Claims Register is not publicly available as it contains commercially sensitive information,” he said.

Meanwhile, secret talks are still underway to hand over public land in Sydney’s east to the local Aboriginal Land Council which could put the future of community organisations at risk.

The Telegraph revealed last year that the government was in negotiations with Randwick council and the La Perouse Aboriginal Land Council to settle land claims under a veil of secrecy.

If an agreement is reached, more than 283 hectares of Crown land would be transferred – including 32 hectares which would be handed over to traditional owners.

That could include Council-owned green space, and land being leased by community organisations, RSL clubs and early childhood centres.