Page 4378 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2005
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ActewAGL achieves this through the Emergencies and Faults Call Centre, which is operational 24 hours every day. The Call Centre Operators are provided with the best information that is available at the time from liaison between the Dispatch and Field Services staff. For any emergency repair work there is always the possibility that initial estimates of repair and restoration times are exceeded if further problems are experienced. The Dispatch and Call Centre staff are advised if this occurs.
(5) The work carried out was emergency repairs, not planned work. ActewAGL will continue to comply with the relevant requirements under the Consumer Protection Code as summarised above.
Namadgi National Park—native title claim
(Question No 724)
Mrs Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, upon notice, on 20 October 2005:
(1) In relation to the Namadgi National Park Draft Management Plan, September 2005, what is the position of the ACT Government on the rights and interests associated with Native Title Claim;
(2) What is the present Native Title Claim over the ACT which includes the Namadgi National Park.
Mr Stanhope: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) There have been several native title claims in the ACT. The ACT Government reached an agreement with the first claimants in 2001 and the claim was dropped. The Namadgi National Park Draft Management reflects the terms and conditions of the Agreement between the Territory and ACT Native Title Claim Groups. The Agreement sets out interim arrangements that are to apply until negotiations on the detailed terms and conditions for permanent arrangements are determined. Under these interim arrangements, the Aboriginal parties to the Agreement have the right to:
• be acknowledged as people with an historical association with the area that is now Namadgi National Park;
• participate in the management of Namadgi National Park;
• be consulted on specific regional cultural issues; and
• be consulted on the development of any legislation that will affect Namadgi National Park.
The Aboriginal parties exercise these rights through their representation on the Interim Namadgi Advisory Board, established under the Agreement. The Board consists of five Aboriginal members (nominated by the Aboriginal parties to the agreement) and five non-Aboriginal members (appointed in an individual capacity because of their specific expertise). The Board has been established and has been working effectively since 2001.
(2) Since the lodgement of the first claim, two further claims have been lodged by a group that had originally been part of the first claim. Only one of these claims is still current. This claim also includes Namadgi National Park. The applicant in this claim (Federal Court No N6007/2002) is Mr Dean Bell. The matter is currently in mediation under the auspices of the Federal Court
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