Misplaced Pages

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty
Incumbent David Harris since 5 April 2023 (2023-04-05)
Premier's Department
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor of New South Wales
Inaugural holder	Frank Walker
Formation	2 October 1981

The New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty is a minister in the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for administering legislation and policy in relation to that state's indigenous Australians in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

The current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is David Harris, who also holds the portfolios of Gaming and Racing and Veterans, appointed with effect from 5 April 2023. The minister administers the portfolio through Aboriginal Affairs NSW, an agency of the Premier's Department, as well as a range of additional government agencies.

Ultimately, the minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

Office history

The first Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Frank Walker, was appointed by the Labor Government of Neville Wran on 2 October 1981 and a "Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs" was established on 1 January 1982. This role replaced the Aboriginal Affairs responsibilities of the Minister for Youth and Community Services (the last being Kevin Stewart). Prior to 1969 Aboriginal Affairs was within the purview of the Chief Secretary. The new ministry had responsibilities for advising the Government on "how and where land rights for Aboriginal people might be granted" and for the provision of services to Aboriginal communities.

On 15 April 1988, the Ministry was abolished and its responsibilities were transferred to the new "Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs" within the Premier’s Department. The Bureau was renamed to the "Office of Aboriginal Affairs" by June 1988 and was charged with the administration of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, 1983 (NSW) and the administration of Aboriginal Land Councils. On 1 July 1993, the Office of Aboriginal Affairs was established as an administrative office independent of the Premier's Department responsible to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

On 6 April 1995 the Office was abolished and was transferred to the "Department of Aboriginal Affairs". On 1 July 2009 the Department was abolished as an independent body and was subordinated to the new Department of Human Services. On 4 April 2011, the Department was renamed "Aboriginal Affairs NSW" and was transferred to the Department of Education and Communities within the Office of Communities. In July 2015 the Office of Communities was abolished but Aboriginal Affairs remained within the parent Department of Education.

Following the 2019 state election, Aboriginal Affairs NSW was transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Premier and Cabinet, with Don Harwin appointed as Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts.

List of ministers

See also

• List of New South Wales government agencies

References

1. ^ "AGY-562 Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
2. "AGY-563 Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs (1988) Office of Aboriginal Affairs[I] (1988-1993)". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
3. "AGY-4112 Office of Aboriginal Affairs [II]". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
4. "AGY-564 Department of Aboriginal Affairs". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 12 May 2022.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
5. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 [NSW] (159)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 7-8. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
6. ^ "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
7. "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". Sky News. Australia. AAP. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
8. "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
9. "NSW Arts Minister resigns after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules". ABC News. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
10. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2020" (PDF). 15 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
11. Wake, Caroline (7 May 2020). "Carriageworks was in trouble before coronavirus - but this crisis could be an opportunity". The Conversation. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
12. "NSW Police boss hits back after former Arts minister Don Harwin gets off coronavirus fine". ABC News. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
13. "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.

External links

• Aboriginal Affairs NSW

v t e Ministerial portfolios of New South Wales
Premier Deputy Premier Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty Agriculture Arts, Music and the Night-time Economy Attorney General Better Regulation and Fair Trading Building Central Coast Climate Change Corrections Customer Service and Digital Government Disability Inclusion Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Education and Early Learning Emergency Services Energy Environment Families and Communities Finance Health Heritage Housing Homelessness Gaming and Racing Hunter Illawarra and South Coast Industrial Relations Industry and Trade Innovation, Science and Technology Jobs and Tourism Lands and Property Local Government Medical Research Mental Health Multiculturalism Natural Resources North Coast Planning and Public Spaces Police and Counter-terrorism Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Regional Health Regional New South Wales Regional Transport and Roads Roads Seniors Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Small Business Sport State Transport Treasurer Veterans Water Western New South Wales Western Sydney Women Work Health and Safety Youth Youth Justice
Current Ministry

• Ministers of the New South Wales state government
• Indigenous affairs ministries
• 1981 establishments in Australia