Dr WOODRUFF - The Aboriginal Heritage Council didn't meet on 28 April. It appears to have fallen apart. It wasn't on 28 April. Did the meeting on 26 May even go ahead? What's happened to the Aboriginal Heritage Council? The whole heritage under your ministership is falling apart.
CHAIR - Mr Wood, member for Bass.
Dr WOODRUFF - The minister is answering my question. He is looking at a piece of paper from Ms Gale.
Mr JAENSCH - I understand that there are members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council who have not attended recent meetings for various reasons, including that there are members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council who are seeking to engage with me on a range of matters. I have committed to meet with them. We are making arrangements to do that. My hope is that we will be able to resolve that as soon as possible so that they can continue their work.
Dr WOODRUFF - So you don't have a functioning Aboriginal Heritage Council at the moment?
Mr JAENSCH - I do have an Aboriginal Heritage Council.
Dr WOODRUFF - But who's on it?
Mr JAENSCH - I will provide a list of members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council.
Dr WOODRUFF - Today? Thanks.
Mr JAENSCH - I can read them out for you. The members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council are: Chairman - Rodney Dillon; Zoe Rimmer; Hank Horton; Jeanymareee Wilson; Camilla Woolley; Joselle Griffin; Lyndon O'Neil; Theresa Sainty; and Dave mangenner Gough.
Ms O'BYRNE - Who's resigned?
Mr JAENSCH - We have had a recent resignation from Greg Brown.
Ms O'BYRNE - Only Greg?
Mr JAENSCH - Yes.
Dr WOODRUFF - Minister, you said you were going to meet with the Aboriginal Heritage Council. First of all, can you confirm that both the April and May meetings did not go ahead?
Mr JAENSCH - I'll ask Mr Gall to speak rather than write that down and pass it to me, just to confirm those meetings.
Mr GALL - Yes, the May meeting went ahead. There was a quorum at that meeting.
Dr WOODRUFF - It's just the April one that didn't go ahead?
Mr GALL - That's correct.
Dr WOODRUFF - Thank you. Minister, who are you going to be meeting with from the Aboriginal Heritage Council? You said you were meeting with some people?
Mr JAENSCH - I meet with Aboriginal people frequently, different groupings. Some at the moment who I'm arranging meetings with are members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council.
Dr WOODRUFF - It's a formal meeting, isn't it?
Mr JAENSCH - I'm also due to meet with the Aboriginal Heritage Council soon as well as the Aboriginal Heritage Council.
Dr WOODRUFF - Have members of the Aboriginal Heritage Council raised with you or with your staff their concerns about why they didn't have the April meeting and specifically concerns about cultural landscapes and the protection of heritage in takayna.
Mr JAENSCH - I can't say that I have been advised that that specific matter was a reason for there not being a meeting when you said.
Dr WOODRUFF - How many recommendations from the Aboriginal Heritage Council did you overrule in the last year? And what were they in relation to?
Ms O'BYRNE - If it helps, in 2021-22 there was six.
Mr JAENSCH - Thank you for your help. I will just await some advice. There was only a small number in my recollection.
Dr WOODRUFF - I think there was only a small number made.
Mr JAENSCH - No, there are a lot of permits processed. I am advised that there has been five occasions where -
Dr WOODRUFF - What is the period there?
Mr JAENSCH - Or maybe it is four.
Dr WOODRUFF - What are the five?
Mr JAENSCH - I think it is four, in 2021-22.
Dr WOODRUFF - And since then?
Mr JAENSCH - None.
Dr WOODRUFF - So what was the five then?
Mr JAENSCH - One in April. I will tell you what the process is while Steve confirms the detail there.
Dr WOODRUFF -I do not need to know the process because we only have eight minutes left and there is not a lot of time, and a lot of questions.
Mr JAENSCH - No, it is important because you have characterised this as me overruling the Aboriginal Heritage Council. In fact, the process involves the generation of reports around applications for permits. The Aboriginal Heritage Council considers those and provides advice. The minister, under the current legislation, is the final decision-maker. As minister, I receive a report from the director -
Dr WOODRUFF - With respect, I understand that process but I would like to know how many were not approved.
Mr JAENSCH - which includes the advice from the Aboriginal Heritage Council. When I have made a decision which is not consistent with the Aboriginal Heritage Council's, I have provided a statement of reasons, which I've written -
Dr WOODRUFF - So what were they for? Was one of them the Robbins Island cultural heritage assessment?
Mr JAENSCH - No.
Dr WOODRUFF - You did not overrule that?
Mr JAENSCH - No.