News
September 2008
Indigenous Literacy Day will be held on Wednesday September 3, 2008 and all Australians are invited to participate. There are a number of events on the day and participating publishers and booksellers will donate part of their takings on that day. Schools and bookshops will also initiate different awareness raising events. Business and individuals are also welcome to participate and donate. The Day is organised by the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP). The ILP is a partnership between the Australian Book Industry and The Fred Hollows Foundation. It purchases and supplies books and other culturally appropriate learning materials to remote areas to support literacy in those areas.
August 2008
From late July and throughout August, the Department of Families, Housing, Community services and Indigenous Affairs will be conducting consultation meetings about the possible National Indigenous Representative Body in every State and the Northern Territory including more remote locations.
Written submissions can be made by Friday 19 September 2008 to indigenousrepbody@fahcsia.gov.au, by fax on 02 6264 5069 or by post to:
National Indigenous Representative Body Unit Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs PO Box 7576 Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610.
July 2008
In July the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Chris Bowen MP, appointment Robynne Quiggin as one of the new members to the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC). Other members include Mr Colin Neave (Chair), Ms Carolyn Bond, Professor Stephen Corones, Ms Deborah Healey, Mr Michael Malone, Mr Ray Steinwall and Mr Gordon Renouf. The Minister said:
"The Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council will play an important consultative role as we work towards a single, national generic consumer law over coming months.
"I will be consulting the Council on their views on the key recommendations of the Productivity Commission's comprehensive Review of Australia's Consumer Policy Framework, which will be of major benefit in the lead up to the next Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs meeting on 15 August 2008.
"In preparing a wide range of important consumer law reforms over the coming years, the government will need to draw on the knowledge and experience of experts on consumer issues, covering policy development and analysis, business, law and economics."
July 2008
The Australian Government has indicated that it intends to establish a new National Indigenous Representative Body. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has released a discussion paper on the issues. It can be accessed at http://www.hreoc.gov.au/Social_Justice/repbody/index.html
The paper addresses three issues:
1.First, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the national, State/ Territory or regional level that have previously existed or that are currently in place?
2. Second, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Indigenous peoples that have been established in other countries?
3. And third, what options are there for ensuring that a National Indigenous Representative Body is sustainable?
May 2008
The Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs (MCCA) consists of all Commonwealth, State, Territory and New Zealand Ministers responsible for fair trading, consumer protection and credit laws. On 1 September 2005 all Australian members of MCCA signed a Statement of Commitment for the development and implementation of the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy Action Plan 2005.2010. The Action Plan demonstrates MCCA.s shared responsibility for ensuring that Australias performance in Indigenous consumer affairs is continually improved and beneficial outcomes for Indigenous consumers are achieved.
Commonwealth, State and Territory consumer agencies have committed to;
the promotion of basic consumer rights recognised by the United Nations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia; improving market outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers; and ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers have equal access to the services each agency provides.
An action plan was developed titled Taking Action, Gaining Trust National Indigenous Consumer Strategy Action Plan 2005-2010. The action plan was endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs and prepared by the Standing Committee of Officials of Consumer Affairs (.SCOCA.) working party representing all Commonwealth, State and Territory Government consumer agencies.
The action plan identifies actions under eight key priority areas:
Employment of Indigenous staff in consumer agencies Advocacy of Indigenous consumers interests Housing Financial management and banking Motor vehicles and boats Trading practices Arts industry Managing Indigenous community organisations
In May this year the mid term report on the implementation of the Taking Action, Gaining Trust National Indigenous Consumer Strategy Action Plan 2005-2010 was released. It can be accessed at http://www.nics.org.au/resources/NICS_Mid_Term_Strategy_Report_8Apr08.pdf
April 2008
20/20 Summit
Representatives at the 20/20 Summit came up with a number of important ideas for Indigenous people including:
- Ideas focused on “closing the gap”
- Establishment of a National Indigenous Knowledge network to provide support to regional knowledge centres. The idea recognises that “regional centres reflect that each Indigenous group is different and has different knowledge to preserve and to develop.”
- Suggestions for a formalised structure for promoting Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights and developing standards for appropriate use, attribution and royalties for such works.
Check out the initial Summit’s report here
February 2008
Australia Council launches 2nd edition of the Indigenous protocol guides
The Australia Council for the Arts has released a fully revised second edition of its protocol guides to help Australians better understand the use of Indigenous cultural material.
The five guides cover protocols for producing Indigenous Australian media arts, music performing arts, visual arts and writing. They were written for the Australia Council by eminent Indigenous intellectual property lawyers Terri Janke and Robynne Quiggin.
Dr Chris Sarra, chair of the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts board said the guides should be compulsory reading for anyone working in the arts, and an automatic first point of reference for Australians working alongside Indigenous culture.
You can download them from the website or you can also ask for hard copies by calling 9215 9000.
2007
New Directions in Copyright
Volume 6 of the series, New Directions in Copyright has been released. Published in the UK and edited by Fiona McMillan it includes a chapter titled “How Much is Too Little?” by Robynne Quiggin reviewing the proposed changes t the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) to implement Indigenous Communal Moral Rights, a chapter on copyright and the sequel by Ian Eagles and other interesting articles.
2006
Indigenous Knowledge Journal
Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney released the sixth edition of the Journal of Indigenous Policy focusing on Respecting and Protecting Indigenous Knowledge. The Journal, edited by Robynne Quiggin includes articles by Neva Collings, Debra Harry Terri Janke, Tania Johnson, Lea Kanehe, Robynne Quiggin, Sonia Smallacombe and Cherryl Smith. The Journal can be downloaded here.
2006
New Directions in Copyright
Volume 3 of the series, New Directions in Copyright has been released. Published in the UK and edited by Fiona McMillan and Kathy Bowrey it includes a chapter titled “The Resale Royalty and Indigenous Art: An opportunity for the recognition of economic and Cultural Rights?” by Robynne Quiggin, and articles by Michael Blakeney, Matthew Rimmer and Kimberlee Weatherall.
2004
NSW Consumer Protection Award from the NSW Office of Fair Trading goes to Streetwize for comics including Moola Talk and No Free Moola read more