Inquiry into Aboriginal deaths in custody

A Board of Inquiry will investigate Aboriginal deaths in custody at Canberra’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

Julie Tongs OAM, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, has repeatedly called for inquiries into deaths in custody and for investigations into systemic racism at the AMC, which she has described as a “bloodbath”. The ACT has had the highest rates of Indigenous incarceration in the country for years (22.7 times more likely than non-Indigenous people to be imprisoned on any given day in the ACT, above the national ratio of 17.3), while three Aboriginal detainees recently died at the AMC within six months of each other.

The inquiry will investigate systemic issues surrounding the deaths in custody of Aboriginal people at the AMC; the treatment and experiences of Aboriginal detainees; whether any corrections officers or staff failed to act in accordance with their duties; whether mechanisms and processes ensure the humane, fair, and culturally safe treatment of Aboriginal detainees; the ability of external organisations to advocate for and support Aboriginal detainees; and any other relevant matter.

Ms Tongs, advocate Joe Hedger, mothers of three young Aboriginal men who died in custody, and Maurice Walker, chair of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, watched the debate in the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Winnunga Nimmityjah stated: “The Aboriginal community has been fighting for many years for this day. […] The decision was a turning point and a step toward justice for [the mothers] and their families.”

The motion’s sponsor, independent MLA Thomas Emerson, said the Board of Inquiry would “expose what’s really happening in the AMC”; he said he had heard that “the treatment of Aboriginal people in Canberra’s prison is not rehabilitative or safe, let alone culturally safe”. He hoped it would lead to reform, turning the AMC into “a place of rehabilitation rather than vindictive punishment, for human rights rather than racism, and for dignity rather than death”.

Following amendments by corrections minister Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, the inquiry will take place after the Jumbunna Institute releases its report mid-year into Indigenous overrepresentation in the ACT justice system, which the ACT Government commissioned last year; and after coronial inquests into seven deaths in custody since 2023, the which inquiries she has expedited.

The ACT Government has set a target to reduce the Indigenous incarceration rate to parity with non-Indigenous people by 2031; Dr Paterson acknowledged that neither the ACT nor Australia was on track to meet that target. She emphasised her determination to confront “the perpetuation of systemic racism through our justice and parliamentary systems”.

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) supported the motion, arguing it would prevent further deaths and guarantee the safety of Aboriginal people in custody at the AMC.

More funding for community sector

Community organisations gathered outside the Assembly yesterday to support a Canberra Liberals motion calling for more funding for the sector, which ACTCOSS CEO Dr Devin Bowles says is at breaking point.

“For too long, the sector has been underfunded, forcing organisations to operate with insufficient staffing levels, inadequate facilities, and growing waitlists,” Dr Bowles said. He represents the ACT for Community Campaign, a coalition of more than 80 Canberra community organisations and peak bodies.

“We need real funding commitments in the upcoming ACT Government budget to ensure critical services can continue supporting the Canberrans who rely on them.”

Chiaka Barry MLA, shadow minister for community services, disability and carers, believes the government must fund preventative health and community support programs in the 2025–26 Budget. More than half the pre-budget submissions from community sector organisations had said government funding did not reflect population growth or demand, but the government had told them that the budget outlook was poor — due to the almost-billion-dollar deficit; that existing programs might be cut or reduced; and that no new funding proposals could be supported, putting disadvantaged Canberrans at risk, the motion states.

“This motion is an opportunity for all Canberrans to let ACT Labor know that cutting critical services is not acceptable,” Ms Barry said. “It’s becoming more and more obvious that less well-off Canberrans will be the ones to suffer, thanks to ACT Labor’s financial mismanagement.”

Dr Bowles argued that investing in community services was not only morally right but economically smart: preventative programs would “reduce pressure on hospitals, emergency services and the justice system, saving taxpayer dollars while strengthening Canberra’s community”.

“This motion sends a clear message: the community sector is essential infrastructure, and its sustainability must be a priority. Failure to invest now will be a decision the government regrets a decade from now.”

The motion passed the Assembly.

Dragons

The ACT Government will invest $4.5 million over four years to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered Canberra grassland earless dragon.

The dragon is found only in this region: in the Majura and Jerrabomberra Valleys and parts of Queanbeyan. 15 cm long and weighing 5 to 9 grams, it was recognised as a distinct species in 2019. It is threatened due to habitat loss, fragmentation, altered fire and grazing regimes, and climate impacts.

“This small, iconic lizard is on the brink of extinction, and we cannot allow that to happen,” environment minister Suzanne Orr MLA said.

The government has invested $2.7 million in captive breeding programs since 2020. The funding announced today would be used for program operations, to expand a breeding colony at Melbourne Zoo, and to release captive-bred dragons into the wild.

The ACT Greens have alleged that Labor’s support for a road at the Canberra Airport would see one of the last three remaining dragon populations perish.

New ACT Fire & Rescue chief

Peter Cleary has been appointed Chief Officer of ACT Fire & Rescue (ACTF&R), starting in July.

Mr Cleary is currently a Chief Superintendent for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), overseeing more than 60 stations across Region North. He joined FRNSW in 1999, and spent 17 years on the frontline before moving into senior roles in education, training, capability development and other operations. He has also worked with NSW Police Counter Terrorism Command and in the private sector, in fire safety installation, maintenance, and emergency response training.

“I am honoured to have this opportunity to lead ACTF&R and to serve the Canberra community,” Mr Cleary said. “I have been fortunate enough to work closely with ACTF&R in my work in NSW, and I have seen what a strong service it is, which I look forward to being a part of.

“I also acknowledge that ACTF&R is part of the wider ACT Emergency Services Agency family and I look forward to working closely with our other services to continue to build an emergency service that the people of Canberra can rely on, no matter what the future holds.”

Bean

With 86.1 per cent of the votes counted, Jessie Price (50.2 per cent) leads by 311 votes; David Smith has 49.8 per cent.