Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts

On 8 August 2024, the Inquiry wrote to the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts (DTATSIPCA) and requested a written submission outlining:

1. The historical and contemporaneous relevance of the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts’ functions and responsibilities to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference;
2. An overview of any position, policy, strategy, plan or actions that the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts currently has in place relevant to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference;
3. Any broad categories of historical documents or data that the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts holds relevant to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference; and
4. Any work, tasks, goals or actions allocated to the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts pursuant to findings or recommendations made by any previous inquiry or commission since 2010 that directly relates to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

On 29 August 2024, DTATSIPCA provided a 212 page submission which provided the information requested.

On 24 September 2024, the Director-General of DTATSIPCA appeared at a Government Session and provided oral submissions to the Inquiry.

On 30 September 2024, the Inquiry wrote to DTATSIPCA and requested a submission that included the following: 

1. Queensland Closing the Gap Annual Report 2023;
2. Queensland Closing the Gap Snapshot Report 2023;
3. Queensland Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2023;
4. Current draft of the Queensland Closing the Gap Governance Framework; and
5. Any summaries compiled by the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts, as well as underlying, footnoted or otherwise referenced source material in relation to the following matters:
   1. The establishment and operation of missions and reserves for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland;
   2. The Native Mounted Police;
   3. The powers, controls and restrictions relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people created by, and applied under, the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 and the Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act 1939; and
   4. The role of the Protector under the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, including the Annual Reports of the Chief Protector and the Northern Protector.

On 7 November 2024, DTATSIPCA provided a 1328 page submission which provided the information requested.