2024-10-04
By Dorinda Cox
Senator for Western Australia
2024 has seen significant wins for my portfolio areas and the wider Federal Greens team.
As always, it continues to be a privilege and honour to represent WA and the community on issues that impact us all.
As we enter an election period, I am expecting exciting and challenging times ahead.
As we have seen this year already, with our first ever Greens member in the Northern Territory, Australia is saying it is time and they are ready for real change and will continue to hold this government accountable.
As a proud Yamatji-Noongar woman, I acknowledge the work that has been done, but also the significant amount that still needs to happen. This year I have continued to work hard advocating for community and we are making progress.
This year I have particularly focused on addressing the horrifying rates of violence against First Nations women and children, protecting cultural heritage, and advocating for truth and justice.
Committees and Inquiries
This year I sat on several committees, attended hearings for several inquiries all over Australia and introduced several pieces of legislation related to my portfolio areas.
Senator David Shoebridge and I introduced the Truth and Justice Commission Bill 2024, which was referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Affairs for inquiry and is due to report by 11 February 2025.
This historic Federal Truth and Justice Commission would inquire into matters relating to pre colonial, historic and ongoing injustices against First Nations peoples, the impact of those injustices and make recommendations to parliament on how they need to be addressed.
I introduced the Protecting the Spirit of Sea Country Bill 2023, which also went to inquiry and is due to report by the 30th of September. The Bill seeks to amend the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act to ensure First Nations people are adequately consulted, intangible and tangible cultural heritage are protected and free, prior and informed consent are included for First Peoples for proposed offshore gas projects; it is due to report 30 April 2025.
On the 11th of September I co-sponsored, alongside Senator David Shoebridge, the first ever Federal Youth Justice Senate Inquiry. The Inquiry aims to hold the federal government responsible for youth justice in Australia. Submissions are now open until the 10th of October and will be reported on by the 26th of November 2024.
Resources
This year I have continued to fight for Traditional Owners and their right to protect cultural heritage. Hearing for the Private Senator’s Bill I introduced last year, Protecting the Spirit of the Sea Country Bill has begun.
We are facing a time of environmental EPA watering down. I am continuing to fight for free, prior and informed consent to ensure First Nations are included in the consultation process and ensure that underwater cultural heritage is identified and protected under the environment plan.
The report from the Protecting the Spirit of Sea Country is due to report back in April 2025 and I am hopeful that this will continue to leverage the important cross portfolio work we did this year on Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Offshore Worker Safety Bill which after much pressure, was scrapped and the Resource Minister was not given the power to approve offshore projects. The voices of First Nations people are important and I will continue to advocate for them.
This year I have also seen more First Nations communities using Section 10s to stop mining that would significantly impact cultural heritage. A major win this year was the NT Mining Minister creating a reserved land over the Jabiluka Mine. This means that the land is protected from any new mining proposals.
There has been a long-held view by the Traditional Owners, the Mirrar People, that mining should not have taken place in this area against their wishes and was used for mining uranium. This was a huge win for them and all of us that have been actively campaigning for this.
Tourism and Trade
This year I have continued to ensure that I am advocating for sustainable tourism as part of Australia's economic future. I am continuing to encourage that rangers are being appropriately funded, ensuring that there is acknowledgment of cultural knowledge and connection to country. Blakcladding needs to be a thing of the past, and ensuring rangers are appropriately funded is a step in the right direction.
This year we also saw the power of Tourist Operators in the Northern Territory opposing the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct and I continue to advocate for the government to prioritise sustainable development strategies that foster economic growth without compromising our communities and environment.
I will continue to call for greater investment in renewable energy sources and eco-tourism initiatives that align with the Northern Territory’s vision for the future. I stand united with the NT in our commitment to promote responsible and sustainable tourism that supports our communities.
Weak environment laws leave sacred cultural heritage at risk, and leave communities to pick up the pieces. I will continue this fight to ensure that there are standalone cultural heritage laws to protect our beautiful heritage.
This year we see the Government include for the first time a designated First Nations chapter in the latest free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates. This is a significant win for First Nations businesses and a campaign I have been championing since I arrived in the Senate.
Northern Australia
As an elected member for Western Australia I am in consistent discussions related to Northern Australia’s development. I advocate for infrastructure and services that will support First Nations communities, pushing for greater inclusion of First Nations voices in planning development processes across the regions.
In March this year I was appointed as the Greens Spokesperson for Northern Australia, this was a great honour and continues to fit in well with my other portfolios. Similarly, the Northern Territory election had a great result for the Greens, with our first ever seat in the NT. A huge congratulations to Kat McNamara, member for Nightcliff - I am looking forward to working closely with her.
Labor had a reshuffle also, with the new Minister for Indigenous Australians announced as Malarndirri McCarthy. Minister McCarthy is from the Northern Territory, a Yanyuwa woman, so this will hopefully be very good for the Northern Territory.
The Greens have also launched an Inquiry into Energy, Food and Water Security in Northern Australia. Northern Australia is vulnerable to the impacts of severe weather events which impact communities and agriculture. This is why we have launched an inquiry to find solutions to ensure energy, food and water security in Northern Australia.
I went to Darwin to meet with community and discuss their concerns regarding Middle Arm proposals for Darwin harbour. The community has made it clear that this isn't what they want, and I will continue to advocate for the community's wishes.
First Nations
Post referendum, there is a lot of hurt - from broken promises, to another year of the colonialism of Australia continuing for First Nations people.
January 26th this year, saw my office host a Solidarity Action and a Day of Mourning event in Boorloo (Perth). The attendance from both First Nations people and allies showed an appetite for shared learning and a collective direction post referendum.
Labor has walked away from the Uluru Statement, stakeholders and community alike have been calling for direction - where to now? The Labor government is not responding though, they abandoned ship. This is why the Greens are leading the first ever Federal Truth and Justice Commission. This is the way forward post referendum, it is a mechanism for a path forward, a First Nations led process to tell the truths of their experiences, what it truly means for our connection to the 1st chapter of our nation's history and the colonialism that continues and how the systems need to be changed.
This year the country rallied around First Nations people and the community called for action, a national emergency of violence against women. This coincided with the Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children report that was finalised this year. It was clear about the current and historical national crisis that requires urgent attention and resources.
The Greens were unable to support the Committee's recommendations due to the weakness of the recommendations, the lack of data capture and the lack of representation of children and young people’s interest as well as the lack of independent oversight.
I attempted to have the government recognise the need to adopt the recommendations via a motion which was voted down. The report's recommendations are yet to be accepted by the government and The Greens will continue to advocate for the implementation and action from Labor.
Western Australia
I attended events and conversations on country, surrounded by community, who came together to create positive change. Whether it’s housing, justice or the health and wellbeing of our mob, we have the resources and knowledge to tackle the issues we are facing. We have been doing it for tens of thousands of years. Our culture and knowledge has been passed down from our elders to us, and we continue to share this sacred tradition with our young people through storytelling.
After the death of two young men in Western Australian detention centres within 10 months, the Greens secured unanimous support for the first ever Senate Inquiry into Youth Justice. This is a major win for the whole country but WA especially, in light of the recent events.
On Meandup (Garden Island) the tangible and intangible cultural heritage is deep. When Meandup becomes both a nuclear target and a nuclear waste dump, there is no advantage for West Australians. Free prior, and informed consent remains at the forefront here, and it is obvious that Traditional Owners have not consented to this. I have and will continue to say no to AUKUS, that promises to destroy our sea country and turn WA into a nuclear waste dump.
- Dorinda