Aboriginal Fishing Advisory Council

Call for Expressions of Interest

The department is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Aboriginal people to fill four coastal and inland regional membership positions on the NSW Aboriginal Fishing Advisory Council (AFAC) and to create a talent pool for other regional vacancies that may arise.

The AFAC has been established to provide strategic level advice to the Minister for Agriculture on issues affecting Aboriginal fishing. The Council also plays an important role in the development of cultural fishing policy as well as exploring commercial opportunities for Aboriginal communities associated with fishing activities.

Expressions of interest is now closed.

Background

The Aboriginal Fishing Advisory Council (AFAC) has been established under Section 229 of the Fisheries Management Act 1994 to provide strategic level advice to the Minister for Agriculture on issues affecting Aboriginal fishing. The Council will continue to play an important role in the development of cultural fishing policy as well as exploring commercial opportunities for Aboriginal communities associated with fishing activities.

Functions

The functions of the Council are to:

advise the Minister on any matter that is referred to it and
advise the Minister on any other matter it considers relevant to the Aboriginal fishing sector.

Within these broad functions the Council has focus on the following priority areas:

Aboriginal interests in the management of fisheries
Aboriginal access to fisheries resources for cultural purposes
Commercial/economic opportunities for Aboriginal people flowing from fisheries activity
Advice on appropriate cultural awareness training for Fisheries staff
Advice on research priorities relating to Aboriginal people’s connection with the fisheries resource
Employment and training for Aboriginal people within the department and Aboriginal involvement in each sector
Advice on expenditure from the Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund.

Enquiries regarding the Council can be made to the department on Aboriginal.fishing@dpi.nsw.gov.au

AFAC membership

The AFAC is composed of up to fourteen members, as prescribed under the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019.

The membership of the Council must include the following:

Aboriginal persons appointed to represent different regions of the State (not more than 10 persons in total),
one other Aboriginal person,
one person appointed as a representative of NTSCORP Limited,
one person appointed as a representative of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council,
a senior officer of the Department (non-voting member).

The make-up of the Council aims to provide for knowledge and experience of:

Aboriginal cultural fishing
social and cultural significance of commercial fishing for Aboriginal people
fisheries issues affecting Aboriginal people and communities.

The AFAC members also provide knowledge of and capacity to speak for the local region on fisheries related issues.

Current AFAC membership

Member name and region	dProfile
Ms Prissy Stephens Region 1 Far West
Paul Schenk Region 2 North West
Mr Michael Nolan Region 3 Central
Mr David Carter Region 4 South Western
Malcolm Talbot Region 5 Northern
Ms Regina Moran Region 6 Far North Coast
Mr Wayne Anderson Region 7 North Coast
Mr Ross McEntyre Region 8 Sydney and NSW Central Coast
Baan Davis Region 9 South Coast
Currently vacant Region 10 Far South Coast
Dr Laura Parker Other Aboriginal Person appointed by the Minister
Ms Natalie Rotumah Nominee of NTSCORP
Cllr Peter Smith Nominee of NSWALC
Ms Laura McNamara Senior Officer of NSW DPI

Map of AFAC membership regions

AFAC map