Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "'Rates City'" [1985] AboriginalLawB 55; (1985) 1(15) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 11

• ‘Rates City’

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‘Rates City’

In an answer to a 'Dorothy Dix' in the NSW Parliament, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr George Paclullo, outlined a proposed set of guidelines for the granting of exemptions to Aboriginal Land Councils for the payment of rates. Itwas his View 'that all landholders had an unmistakeable obligation to pay their rates ...' (Koorier, June 1985).

The Minister invited comments from Aboriginal Land Councils and local government bodies on a set of four proposals:

1. Where former Crown land, over which local government authorities have not been paying rates, has been successfully claimed by a Land Council, an exemption could be granted far a specific time until the land is able to generate income (either by enterprises or housing).
2. Where land is bequeathed or granted to a Land Council, and the Land Council would be unable to pay rates if required to do so immediately.
3. Where to require a full payment of rates would impose a financial burden beyond the control of a Land Council, exemption could be given for a portion of the year.
4. Where an application for exemption is made, the relevant local government authority's comment will be sought.

At the closing date the NSW Ministry had received comments from the following Councils and bodies:

Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC)
Foster LALC
Menindar LAIC
Lightning Ridge LALC
Albury and District LALC
Coffs Harbour LALC
Goodooga LALC
NSW Land Council
and
Local Government and Shires Association

The Association's report was the summary of a questionnaire sent to every shire and municipal body in NSW.

The list of Aboriginal submissions contains no responses from Regional Land Councils, of which there are twelve.

It would seem most of the Local and Regional Councils had relied on the NSW Land Council to represent their case. However in such a matter which will affect all LALCs it is surprising that self-interest did not motivate more responses.

The views of these submissions will be summarised by a working committee within the NSW Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. These will then influence a range of recommendations which will be given to the Minister in time for the resumption of Parliament in early September.