There's concern some First Nations members of the Stolen Generations will miss out on the State Government's redress scheme. Western Australia recently announced plans for compensation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were forcibly removed from their families. But some members will be ruled out due to the eligibility criteria.
00:00On the steps of Parliament House in May, WA's Premier announced a redress scheme, initially met with applause from those who'd spent decades fighting for reparations.
00:15A payment of $85,000 will be made available to Aboriginal children who are removed from their families in Western Australia up until the 1st of July 1972.
00:26But that cut-off date means some members of the Stolen Generations would be ineligible.
00:33Sisters Meredith Edmonds and Angela Ryder were taken from their family in Tamberlop to Rowland's Mission in 1973.
00:40And there was cruelty as well. It was not only traumatic, but there was physical, emotional and sexual abuse that occurred.
00:52I know that you've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere, but to hear that date, how does that address our trauma?
01:02The state government saying the cut-off was chosen to coincide with the repeal of the 1973 Native Welfare Act.
01:10The Healing Foundation, which supports survivors and their families, says it takes time for shifts in practice to follow changes in legislation and point it to more flexible timeframes in other states and territories.
01:23Meanwhile, children of survivors who died waiting for redress want compensation paid to the families.
01:30It's putting a band-aid over the wounds of some without looking at all of us.
01:39The trauma that continues in each of us and just us not knowing our language and not knowing the extended relationships.
01:53The scheme is expected to be open to registrations later this year.
