As you are aware, the Australian Government has been considering the CATSI Act Review final report. The Government is bringing forward a Bill to amend the CATSI Act in line with recommendations made in the final report.
An exposure draft of the CATSI Amendment Bill has been released today on the National Indigenous Australians Agency website. Accompanying the exposure draft is a guide that maps the recommendations from the final report to the items of the exposure draft. Fact sheets are also available that outline the draft changes in each part of the CATSI Amendment Bill.
The National Indigenous Australians Agency is leading a consultation process based on the exposure draft. The purpose of this consultation process is to receive feedback from stakeholders about those aspects of the Bill they support, in addition to any concerns regarding practical barriers or unintended consequences associated with implementation. The NIAA is also interested in feedback on the clarity, readability and complexity of the draft legislation.
Stakeholders will be able to send written submissions to CATSIActReview@niaa.gov.au until 9:00am Monday, 9 August 2021. Stakeholders can also attend a virtual consultation session to provide their feedback. A schedule of virtual consultation sessions is available on the National Indigenous Australians Agency website. We encourage people registering for the virtual sessions to come prepared to discuss their feedback. You can register for a virtual consultation session here.
We encourage all those with an interest in, or impacted by, the CATSI Act to participate during consultation. Please contact us atCATSIActReview@niaa.gov.au or on (02) 6271 5111, if the consultation options are not accessible to you so that we can arrange an alternative mechanism for you to provide feedback.
Kind regards,
CATSI Act Review Team