Hon. Fred Chaney AO, Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal, addresses the 2007 conference of the Planning Institute of Australia with a discussion on the role of Planners in Native Title policy. The current conditions for Indigenous people of Australia are unsatisfactory and the Native Title Act, 1993, has the capacity to redress the balance. Unfortunately the majority of successful determinations have been made in remote regions and impacting few people. Mr. Chaney proposes that if the Native Title Policy were in the hands of Planners instead of Lawyers, the results would be superior for all interests.
Mr. Chaney explores the thriving enterprise of the Argyle Diamond Mine in W.A. and the Ord Stage Two Agreement. The role of Planners has been crucial to the success of these collaborations. The difficulties for Indigenous Australians to have anything more than traditional ownership of land has been exacerbated by government, and where the focus has been on legal technicalities the ability to achieve adequate outcomes impossible. Planners have the ability to meet the needs of Aboriginal People and pastoralists, city and country, by applying their skills in land use, environmental and social planning.
At the completion of this seminar you should be able to:
Deputy President, National Native Title Tribunal
Director, Reconciliation Australia
Chair, Desert Knowledge Australia
Fred Chaney AO practised law in New Guinea and Western Australia until he entered the Senate in 1974. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1983 to 1990 and then was Member for Pearce in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993. Among his Ministerial appointments were Aboriginal Affairs and Social Security. After leaving Parliament he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration at the University of Western Australia from 1993 to 1995. He was appointed Chancellor of Murdoch University in 1995 and continued in that capacity until 2003.
In 1994 he was appointed as a part-time Member of the National Native Title Tribunal, a full-time Member in April 1995 and a Deputy President in April 2000.
He served as Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Ltd from 2000 to 2005 and continues as a Director on the Board.
Mr Chaney was appointed Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia in 2005.
