WA: Indigenous demand for stolen wages compensation scheme

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2006
WA: Indigenous demand for stolen wages compensation scheme

An Aboriginal land council says Western Australia should immediately establish a compensation
scheme for stolen Aboriginal wages.

BRIAN WYATT .. from the Goldfields Land and Sea Council .. says Aboriginal wages and
welfare were withheld .. underpaid or not paid .. throughout the Goldfields pastoral industry
.. and at some missions until the late 1960s.

Earlier this month .. a Senate committee published a report recommending the WA government
establish a compensation scheme.

It said WA should use the NSW Aboriginal Trust Fund Repayment Scheme as a model.

The NSW scheme was set up last year to repay wages or other money paid into Aboriginal
Trust Funds between 1900 and 1968 .. and never repaid.

AAP RTV np/lk/wf/bart

KEYWORD: WAGES (PERTH)

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