August 17, 2015
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda will head up the new “Stolen Wages Taskforce” which aims to return wages withheld from Indigenous Queenslanders as part of previous government policy.
From the early 1900s to the 1970s, many Aboriginal workers living on Reserves – including Cherbourg – were either not paid or underpaid for work performed.
In 2002, $56.6 million was set aside by the then State Government as as reparation. Applicants were offered between $2000 and $4000 on condition they waive their rights to legal action. While more than 5000 people received some payment, thousands more were rejected because of a lack of government records.
The $20 million that could not be claimed was put aside by the then-Bligh Government for Indigenous scholarships, a decision which drew criticism from the Indigenous community at the time.
Earlier this year, the new Palaszczuk Government announced that $21 million would be made in reparations payments, with a taskforce set up to make recommendations about how best to distribute the funds.
The Reparations Scheme is expected to start in late 2015 after the State Government has considered the Taskforce’s recommendations.
It will run until 2018.
