Published Tuesday, 29 May, 2007 at 04:13 PM

Minister for Communities, Disability Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
The Honourable Warren Pitt
Queensland Government renews commitment to address past Indigenous injustice
The Queensland Government has marked National Reconciliation Week by reaffirming its commitment to working in partnership with Indigenous Queenslanders to address historical injustices.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Warren Pitt said today the government was determined to build a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
Speaking at a 1967 referendum 40th anniversary reception in Brisbane, Mr Pitt said the government would resolve by the end of the year how to disperse $46 million in funding earmarked to acknowledge past injustices to Indigenous Queenslanders
“The Queensland Government has been working over recent years to address a number of areas of injustice,” he said.
“There has been approximately $40 million paid in compensation to more than 5,700 people who were not paid award wages while employed by the government between 1975 and 1986.
“In 2002, the government allocated $55.4 million in reparations for past control of the wages or savings of Indigenous people, including an offer of compensation and a written apology to those affected.
“This reparations offer acknowledged that no amount of money could fully make up for the past injustices suffered by Queensland’s Indigenous people under the ‘protection acts’,” Mr Pitt said.
More than 5,500 claimants were paid a total of approximately $19.5 million.
A statewide workshop of community representatives will be held in Cairns in July to consider a consultative process with the community, to resolve how the remaining $35.9 million of the reparations offer will be spent.
The government will also determine this year what to do with the balance of $10.4 million currently remaining in the Aborigines Welfare Fund.
Mr Pitt said that following a Federal Court decision in a test case late last year involving eight former residents of the Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal church missions, the State had been conducting mediation and settlement negotiations.
“To date, more than 50 matters have been settled, and it is planned that a further 120 cases involving former mission workers currently in the Federal Court will be resolved within the next three months,” he said.
“I will also be writing to the Australian Government Minister in support of the Senate Inquiry recommendation for a national oral history project on historical controls over the wages and savings of Indigenous people.
“Since 1993, the Queensland Government has facilitated access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to historical government records relating to themselves and their communities.
“The service provided by the government assists individuals, families, native title representative bodies and Stolen Generation counsellors and is regarded as the best of its kind in Australia,” Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Joe Begley 3235 4280