After years of calls from survivors and advocates, the Western Australia government has finally announced a redress scheme for members of the Stolen Generations.
The news dropped at the Reconciliation Week Breakfast in Boorloo/Perth, with Premier Roger Cook revealing the details on Tuesday morning.
What is the WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme?
Here’s what you need to know: the WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme will provide payments of $85,000 to Aboriginal people who were forcibly removed from their families in Western Australia before July 1 1972. The scheme is set to open for registrations in the second half of 2025, with payments expected to start rolling out by the end of next year.
Premier Cook said the scheme is “an acknowledgement of past injustices” and a step towards healing and reconciliation.
“The WA Government has long acknowledged the historical injustices and their ongoing impact on the Stolen Generations, their families, and communities,” Cook said.
“The WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme is a major step in the pursuit of reconciliation and healing.”
He also recognised the “guts and determination” of Aboriginal people who have fought for justice, adding, “No matter what, the fight for justice and rights for First Nations people will continue.”
The scheme comes after a long campaign by survivors and advocates. Tony Hansen, co-chair of Bringing Them Home WA and a Stolen Generations survivor himself, has been a leading voice. In 2022, a petition with over 1,300 signatures was tabled in WA Parliament, urging the government to follow other states and offer redress.
Hansen had said back in 2022, “Sadly many of our people have died sitting in aged care facilities. The time is now for us as a state to compensate the Stolen Generation people and acknowledge the past histories of the atrocities that took place,” per National Indigenous Times.
WA Attorney General Dr Tony Buti called today’s announcement “a recognition of the wrongs of the past”, saying, “It marks a significant step in recognising members of Western Australia’s Stolen Generations by providing reparations for surviving members. We hope this support can contribute to healing for those impacted,” per The Guardian.
The government has also said it will work with Aboriginal organisations to support the rollout of the scheme and plan extra measures to help with healing and truth-telling.
The Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families under government policies from the early 1900s through to the 1970s. The Bringing Them Home report, tabled in 1997, recommended compensation and other support for survivors. With this announcement, Queensland is now the only state without a redress scheme in place.
While this step can’t undo the past, it’s a significant move towards acknowledging the harm done and supporting survivors and their families.
As Premier Cook put it: “It will not bring families back together or give back the time that was lost. But it’s an acknowledgement to the victims of the Stolen Generations that we are truly sorry for what they experienced. And that we will continue to work together on the path towards reconciliation.”
Lead: AAP / Getty
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