Latest news with #Aboriginal-led
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Controversy over ‘offensive' park name getting ‘woke' change
Blackboy Park in Mullaloo is set to be renamed by the City of Joondalup after community consultation showed broad support for a change — but it will need to come up with a new name after a proposed one was rejected. The city held public consultation on the proposed name change earlier this year after years of debate and an 11-1 council vote in December approving the change to Koorlangka Park. Just more than 1800 submissions were received, with 55 per cent backing the name change, while 43 per cent supported keeping the original name. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Of the 1802 submissions, 40 per cent (746) were from people living outside the City of Joondalup. Despite public support, the city will need to return to the drawing board for a new name after Landgate said 'Koorlangka Park' would not be supported due to its similarity in pronunciation and spelling to the nearby Koolyanga Road. The park is named Blackboy Park due to the presence of xanthorrhoeas, plants more commonly known today as grass trees. Credit: Simon Santi / The West Australian City officers have recommended the city pursue an alternative Aboriginal place name through an Aboriginal-led engagement process. The decision comes despite Landgate, the authority responsible for place naming in WA, previously expressing general support for the proposed name. The city had engaged Aboriginal consultancy Nyungar Birdiyia in early 2024 to provide a recommendation for the renaming. Koorlangka Kallip, which loosely translates to 'children's park' in Noongar, was initially suggested by the group, though city officers advised keeping 'Park' based on feedback from Landgate. The park is named Blackboy Park due to the presence of xanthorrhoeas, plants more commonly known today as grass trees. Currently there are only a handful of these grass trees in the 20,750sqm park. Common points raised by those in support of the changes during the community consultation included that the current name was 'offensive, outdated, derogatory and racist', and that renaming the park would be 'more respectful and welcoming'. The main arguments of those opposed to the change were that the current name was 'not offensive', that it referred to a plant name, and that changing it was seen as 'woke'. City officers believe the council should still consider changing the park's name as the community expected it. 'The community consultation undertaken revealed that, overall, a majority of those who responded support the renaming of Blackboy Park,' city officers said in a report. 'Actions undertaken by the city and decisions of council on this issue to date have raised an expectation with the community that Blackboy Park will be renamed, and more specifically renamed with an appropriate Aboriginal place name. 'Not proceeding to rename Blackboy Park, or renaming the park with a non-Aboriginal name, creates a reputational risk with members of the community that consider reference to the term 'blackboy' is outdated and offensive.' The Joondalup council will consider the city's recommendation at their meeting on June 24, following discussion at the agenda briefing on June 10.
West Australian
21-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Nyul Nyul country gains protected status
The Nyul Nyul people have gained national recognition for their efforts to protect country, with the declaration of a new Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) spanning 144,000ha on the Dampier Peninsula. The IPA will help safeguard freshwater springs, monsoon vine thickets, threatened species including the greater bilby and short-nosed sea snake, and stretches of sea country. It also cements Aboriginal-led conservation at the heart of land and sea management in the region. Kimberley Land Council (KLC) land and sea unit Manager Daniel Oades said the recognition was the result of years of dedicated work by the Nyul Nyul prescribed body corporate and ranger team. 'IPA recognition does not happen every day, and this hard-won milestone ensures that Nyul Nyul can assert authority over their country and shape land management according to the vision of the Nyul Nyul people,' Mr Oades said. The Nyul Nyul rangers have been actively managing their country since 2008, carrying out prescribed burning, biodiversity monitoring, cultural education, and sea country care. Their work has already earned national recognition through programs like their award-winning two-way science partnership with the local school. 'This IPA recognises 15 years of proactive land management, led by the Nyul Nyul rangers and guided by the PBC,' Mr Oades said. 'Their efforts have already made a significant impact on the health of country and community. The IPA now provides national recognition and a stronger foundation for future work.' Nyul Nyul ranger co-oordinator Preston Cox said the formal recognition marked an emotional and long-awaited achievement for the community. 'It's a good feeling in my liyan,' Mr Cox said. 'This is a great thing for Nyul Nyul country and people. We have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time. This is about more than just land — it's about continuing stories, knowledge and connection,' he said. 'We've passed this knowledge down from generation to generation and with this recognition, all the young people at the ceremony today will be able to do that.' Nyul Nyul PBC director Fiona Smith said the declaration honoured the work of ancestors and future generations alike. 'We are carrying on the legacy of our old people,' Ms Smith said. 'I'm doing this work for my mum who is no longer with us — I continued this work for her because I want to see Nyul Nyul country protected now and into the future. My liyan felt good today.' The new IPA links with the Bardi Jawi protected area to the north and is expected to strengthen further efforts by neighbouring traditional owner groups, including the Jabbirr Jabbirr and Nimanburr, who are also developing their own IPA plans. The Kimberley Land Council says it remains committed to supporting Aboriginal-led conservation in the region.
West Australian
08-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
NSW launches review of doli incapax legal protection for minors
A civil liberties group has warned a fresh government review into a core legal protection for minors could soon put more kids in prison and strip away an 'ancient' community safety principle. The review, announced by NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, will reassess 'doli incapax', or the presumption in law that children between the ages of 10 and 14 do not sufficiently understand the difference between right and wrong to be held criminally responsible for their actions. It follows months of rolling community outrage over an alarming spike in youth crime across multiple towns in regional NSW. For the Central West, Far West and Orana and New England and North West areas, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recorded a 26 per cent jump in the number of young people proceeded against by the NSW Police from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, 3444 young people went through legal proceedings across the three jurisdictions. On Thursday Mr Daley said the review would include victims' groups, local and regional communities, Aboriginal-led organisations and legal and government stakeholders. 'Recently, concerns have been raised about the operation of doli incapax,' he said. 'I commissioned this review to ensure close consideration of any improvements that can be made and possible legislative reforms.' Doli incapax is designed to protect children from unfair prosecutions. In 2016, the High Court ruled prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a child defendant understood their actions to be 'seriously wrong' at the time of the offence. Since the 2016 decision, BOCSAR has found the proportion of 10-13-year olds with a proven outcome in the NSW Children's Court slumped from 76 per cent in 2015-16 to 16 per cent in 2022-23. Prosecutors withdrew charges in more than half of all cases in 2022-23. Though doli incapax is a common law protection established by the courts, in Australia parliament rules over the courts, meaning the state government could potentially legislate away or reduce doli incapax. NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Timothy Roberts said he was worried the review would propose legislative reform that would do just that. 'This review is completely unnecessary,' he said. 'What is wrong with the court saying that we need to be sure that children, as young as 10, facing criminal charges know that what they are accused of is wrong and we know this beyond reasonable doubt? 'Less young children in prison is a good thing. This review does nothing to achieve that goal and only risks making it worse.' State Parole Authority chair and former Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew SC and former NSW Police deputy commissioner Jeffrey Loy will lead the review. Specifically, the review will consider how the presumption of doli incapax is applied in criminal proceedings, the impact of its operation on options for intervention, what improvements could be made and a framework for legislation. It will also consider how doli incapax interacts with the Young Offenders Act 1997 and the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020, and other relevant matters including community safety and the interests of children.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Youth crime spike triggers ‘obnoxious' review
A civil liberties group has warned a fresh government review into a core legal protection for minors could soon put more kids in prison and strip away an 'ancient' community safety principle. The review, announced by NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, will reassess 'doli incapax', or the presumption in law that children between the ages of 10 and 14 do not sufficiently understand the difference between right and wrong to be held criminally responsible for their actions. It follows months of rolling community outrage over an alarming spike in youth crime across multiple towns in regional NSW. For the Central West, Far West and Orana and New England and North West areas, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recorded a 26 per cent jump in the number of young people proceeded against by the NSW Police from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, 3444 young people went through legal proceedings across the three jurisdictions. On Thursday Mr Daley said the review would include victims' groups, local and regional communities, Aboriginal-led organisations and legal and government stakeholders. 'Recently, concerns have been raised about the operation of doli incapax,' he said. 'I commissioned this review to ensure close consideration of any improvements that can be made and possible legislative reforms.' A youth crime spike has hit multiple towns across regional NSW in the past few months. FRNSW Gunnedah. Credit: Supplied Doli incapax is designed to protect children from unfair prosecutions. In 2016, the High Court ruled prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a child defendant understood their actions to be 'seriously wrong' at the time of the offence. Since the 2016 decision, BOCSAR has found the proportion of 10-13-year olds with a proven outcome in the NSW Children's Court slumped from 76 per cent in 2015-16 to 16 per cent in 2022-23. Prosecutors withdrew charges in more than half of all cases in 2022-23. Though doli incapax is a common law protection established by the courts, in Australia parliament rules over the courts, meaning the state government could potentially legislate away or reduce doli incapax. NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Timothy Roberts said he was worried the review would propose legislative reform that would do just that. NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley announced the review on Thursday and said it would include victims' groups. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'This review is completely unnecessary,' he said. 'What is wrong with the court saying that we need to be sure that children, as young as 10, facing criminal charges know that what they are accused of is wrong and we know this beyond reasonable doubt? 'Less young children in prison is a good thing. This review does nothing to achieve that goal and only risks making it worse.' State Parole Authority chair and former Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew SC and former NSW Police deputy commissioner Jeffrey Loy will lead the review. Specifically, the review will consider how the presumption of doli incapax is applied in criminal proceedings, the impact of its operation on options for intervention, what improvements could be made and a framework for legislation. It will also consider how doli incapax interacts with the Young Offenders Act 1997 and the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020, and other relevant matters including community safety and the interests of children.
