With reference to the Minister’s announcement on 12 September 2006 that the Government was reconsidering the Northern Territory permit system that applies to Aboriginal land and the discussion paper released by the Minister in early October 2006, which outlined several proposals for change to the permit system:

(1)   On what date: (a) did the Minister first request that the department investigate options for reform to the permit system; (b) was the Minister first briefed on the options for reform to the permit system; (c) did the Minister first request that the department prepare the discussion paper; (d) did the Minister see the first draft of the discussion paper; and (e) was the discussion paper first publicly released.

(2)   How many departmental staff worked on the discussion paper.

(3)   What documented research, evidence or consultations did the discussion paper draw on.

(4)   Were any consultants engaged in the research for, or preparation of, the discussion paper; if so: (a) how long was the consultation period; and (b) what was the total cost of the consultancy.

(5) (a)   To date, how many submissions have been received; and (b) will these submissions be made publicly available.

The Minister had been asked to consider changes to the permit system from the time he was appointed. He publicly stated that while his preference was to review the system, at that time it was not his first priority. The Minister formerly requested that the department investigate options for reform to the permit system on 12 September 2006. The Minister was first briefed on the options for reform to the permit system on 25 September 2006. The Minister first requested that the department prepare the discussion paper on 13 September 2006. The Minister saw the first draft of the discussion paper on 25 September 2006. The discussion paper was publicly released on 4 October 2006.

The discussion paper was informed by various sources including Building on Land Rights for the Next Generation: Report of the Review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 by John Reeves QC (1998) and associated submissions; and Unlocking the Future: The Report of the Inquiry into the Reeves Review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (1999) and associated submissions and evidence.

A total of 60 written submissions have been received at 27 February 2007. The submissions will not be made publicly available.