Public Hearings
The Inquiry is holding public hearings in October and November 2023 to hear from witnesses across academia, government and the Aboriginal community controlled sector.
The purpose of these hearings is to build a deeper picture of how the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle is applied in the removal and placement of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.
The hearings will also explore priority areas in greater detail, including practices and models being applied in other jurisdictions nationally and internationally.
Witnesses and recordings
Recordings of evidence from each witness will be published on this page as they are available.
Session 1 - Dr Rhiannon Pilkington, Dr Fiona Arney and Karen Glover
Monday, 9 October 2023 at 10:00am
Witnesses:
- Dr Rhiannon Pilkington, Epidemiologist, BetterStart Health and Development Research, University of Adelaide
- Dr Fiona Arney, Director, Arney Chong Consulting
- Karen Glover, Principal Research Fellow, SAHMRI Women and Kids theme
Session 2 - Professor Cindy Blackstock
Tuesday, 10 October 2023 at 1:30pm
Witnesses:
- Professor Muriel Bamblett AO, CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and Chair of SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
- Sarah Gafforini, Director, Office of the CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
Session 3 - Professor Muriel Bamblett AO and Sarah Gafforini
Tuesday, 10 October 2023 at 8:00am
Witness:
- Professor Cindy Blackstock, McGill University and Executive Director, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
Session 4 - Candice Butler
Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 10:00am
Witness:
- Candice Butler, Director, Centre of Excellence, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak
Session 5 - Commissioner Natalie Lewis
Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 2:00pm
Witness:
- Commissioner Natalie Lewis, Queensland Family and Child Commission
Session 6 - Sarah Decrea and Paul Nixon
Tuesday, 17 October 2023 at 10:00am
Witnesses:
- Sarah Decrea, Practice Manager Family-Led Decision Making, Relationships Australia South Australia
- Paul Nixon, Independent Consultant Social Worker
Session 7 - Associate Professor Paul Gray
Wednesday, 18 October 2023 at 9:30am
Witness:
- Associate Professor Paul Gray, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney
Session 8 - Dr Jacynta Krakouer
Wednesday, 18 October 2023 at 2:00pm
Witness:
- Dr Jacynta Krakouer, UniSA Justice and Society, University of South Australia
Session 9 - Amy Cleland
Thursday, 19 October 2023 at 10:00am
Witness:
- Amy Cleland, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
Session 10 - Professor Katina D’Onise
Thursday, 19 October 2023 at 2:00pm
Witness:
- Professor Katina D’Onise, Executive Director, Prevention and Population Health, Wellbeing SA
Session 11 - Sandra Miller
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 at 2:00pm
Witness:
- Sandra Miller, Aboriginal rights activist and advocate for Indigenous health and welfare
Session 12 - Associate Professor Yvonne Clark
Thursday, 26 October 2023 at 10:00am
Witness:
- Associate Professor Yvonne Clark, UniSA Justice and Society, University of South Australia
Session 13 - Dr Tracy Westerman AM
Thursday, 26 October 2023 at 1:00pm
Witness:
- Dr Tracy Westerman AM, Managing Director, Indigenous Psychological Services
Session 14 - Professor Leah Bromfield
Friday, 27 October 2023 at 9:00am
Witness:
- Professor Leah Bromfield, Director and Chair of Child Protection, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
Session 15 - Shona Reid
Friday, 27 October 2023 at 2:00pm
Witness:
- Shona Reid, Guardian for Children and Young People
Session 16 - Aboriginal Family Support Services
Wednesday, 1 November 2023 at 10:00am | Day 1
Witnesses:
- Kerry Rogers, Senior Manager Cultural Clinician, Aboriginal Family Support Services
- Kate Wright, Senior Manager Therapeutic Services, Aboriginal Family Support Services
Thursday, 9 November 2023 at 9:00am | Day 2
Witnesses:
- Kerry Rogers, Senior Manager Cultural Clinician, Aboriginal Family Support Services
- Kate Wright, Senior Manager Therapeutic Services, Aboriginal Family Support Services
Session 17 - Department for Health and Wellbeing
Thursday, 9 November 2023 at 11:00am
Witnesses:
- Heather Baron – A/Chief Child Protection Officer, Department for Health and Wellbeing
- Ben Thomas – Manager, Child Protection and Policy Unit, Department for Health and Wellbeing
Session 18 - Department of Human Services
Monday, 20 November 2023 at 12:30PM
Witnesses:
- Katherine Hawkins – Executive Director, Inclusion and Reform, Department of Human Services
- Kerry Beck – Director, Safer Family Services, Department of Human Services
Session 19 - Department for Child Protection
Monday, 27 November 2023 at 10:00AM | Day 1
Witnesses:
- Jackie Bray – Chief Executive, Department for Child Protection
- Adam Reilly – Deputy Chief Executive, Department for Child Protection
Tuesday, 28 November 2023 at 10:00AM | Day 2
Witnesses:
- Jackie Bray – Chief Executive, Department for Child Protection
- Adam Reilly – Deputy Chief Executive, Department for Child Protection
