18 November 2015

New Chair and Deputy to lead NSW Aboriginal Land Council

Wiradjuri man Roy Ah-See has been elected Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC), the largest Aboriginal organisation in Australia.

Cr Ah-See, representing Sydney/Newcastle region, was elected by the nine Councillors who met today for the first time since the NSWALC Elections on 31 October.

The new Deputy Chair of NSWALC is Gamilaraay woman Anne Dennis who represents the North West Region.

Cr Ah-See, a former Deputy Chair, replaces Wiradjuri Region Cr Craig Cromelin who had held the position for the past two years.

"To be elected Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council is a great honour. I pay tribute to the former Chair Cr Craig Cromelin for providing stable leadership for our 23,000-strong membership.

"As Chair, I look forward to working closely with Councillors, Local Aboriginal Land Councils and the broader network to leverage our land gains into programs that strengthen culture, take care of country and further develop regional economies.

"The NSW Aboriginal Land Council has a Land Rights system that is the envy of the rest of Australia.

"The Land Rights system in New South Wales allows Aboriginal people to create and manage a wealth base and to strengthen our mob culturally and spiritually.

"With the support of the Deputy Chair and a new Council, we look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead of us."

New Deputy Chair Cr Dennis said she was honoured to be part of the leadership team to take the NSW Aboriginal Land Council forward.

"By representing our network of 120 Local Aboriginal Land Councils, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council is in a position to empower Aboriginal people throughout New South Wales through self-determination and economic independence."

NSWALC Chief Executive Officer Lesley Turner said it was important for NSWALC to build on the increased voter turnout in last month's election and ensure Land Rights continues to transform the lives of Aboriginal people.

"In last month's elections, the number of people who turned out to vote in the elections increased by 7 percent compared to the 2011 election.

"Like many other membership-based organisations, voting was not compulsory so to have more than 33 percent of our members turn out to vote for Land Rights underlines the strength of our network."

NSWALC Council 2015

Sydney/Newcastle Region - NSWALC Chair Cr Roy Ah-See (Darkinjung) 

North West Region - NSWALC Deputy Chair Cr Anne Dennis (Walgett) 

Central Region - Cr Stephen Ryan (Dubbo)

Mid-North Coast Region - Cr Peter Smith (Purfleet-Taree)

North Coast Region - Cr Tina Williams (Ngulingah)

Northern Region - Cr Charles Lynch (Nungaroo)

South Coast - Cr Danny Chapman (Mogo)

Western Region - Cr William Murray (Wilcannia)

Wiradjuri Region - Cr Craig Cromelin (Murrin Bridge)

Elections to determine the Governing Council of the NSWALC are held every four years. The Chair and Deputy positions are two-year terms.

About NSWALC Chair Cr Roy Ah-See

Cr Ah-See is a Wiradjuri man who was born and raised on Nanima Reserve, near Wellington.

A member of Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, he was elected to Council in 2007 and was most recently the Deputy Chair of NSWALC.

Cr Ah-See has qualifications in social welfare and has worked at various government agencies and at NSWALC as a policy officer.

About NSWALC Deputy Chair Cr Anne Dennis

First elected in 2011, Cr Dennis is a Gamilaraay woman who was born on Namoi Reserve and has lived most of her life in Walgett.

Cr Dennis has a strong background in education spanning more than 30 years as a teacher and administrator.

Cr Dennis has been a member of the Walgett Local Aboriginal Land Council for almost 15 years and was formerly its Chief Executive Officer.

Media contact: Andrew Williams 0429 585 291