ALHR president Kerry Weste explained that the amendments will see children in NSW's out-of-homecare system placed in permanent homes within two years and will enable forced adoptions.

“We are astounded that the NSW Government has rushed such a significant piece of legislation with profoundly serious consequences for the children involved,” Ms Weste said.

“There has been inadequate consultation or transparency with key stakeholders including Aboriginal community bodies, and community legal advocates, yet these measures will predominantly impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

“The amendments were tabled with no specific protections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. This is shocking given the lessons governments across Australia should have learnt from the Bringing Them Home report and the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.”

Further, Ms Weste noted that the NSW government’s “failure” to allow a meaningful public engagement and consultation process “leaves these changes bereft of evidence-based best practice”.

“Sadly, it is ultimately children and families who will suffer the consequences,” she said.

“... No clear basis for the two-year time frame has been explained, and ALHR is concerned that it does not provide enough time for struggling families who may be waiting on public health sector rehabilitation services, families who have mental health issues, families affected by domestic violence or families dealing with intergenerational trauma.

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“There will be times where adoption may be in the best interests of the child but Australia’s international legal obligations demand that all laws concerning the permanent removal of children be drafted in a manner consistent with the CRC and its core principles of non-discrimination, devotion to the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of the child.”

Ms Weste added:  “Separating families on a permanent basis after two years, sometimes without parental consent, raises serious concerns with respect to infringements of these obligations and could lead to another stolen generation”.

“This is of particular concern considering the already extremely high rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, some of whom have not been placed with Aboriginal kinship and foster carers in accordance with the fundamental goal of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.”

In conclusion, Ms Weste said ALHR would like to remind the state government that Australia will appear before the UN next year to report on its compliance with the CRC.

“We call on the government to listen to and work with AbSec and numerous other Aboriginal community organisations who have expressed the need for legislative change toward a system tailored to Aboriginal families, designed by Aboriginal people, and delivered by Aboriginal communities themselves,” she said.

“We further call on the NSW government to create an Aboriginal Child and Family Commissioner as part of a new statutory body to focus investment on Aboriginal community-controlled child and family services and to provide early intervention for Aboriginal families.”