Tasmania adds 'missing chapter' to constitution, officially recognising Indigenous owners

Tasmania has joined the rest of the country in officially recognising the state's first peoples, adding the "missing chapter" to its constitution. The amended preamble to the Tasmanian Constitution Act now reads: "And whereas the Parliament, on behalf of all the people of Tasmania, acknowledges the Aboriginal people as Tasmania's First People and the traditional and original owners of Tasmanian lands and waters; recognises the enduring spiritual, social, cultural and economic importance of traditional lands and waters to Tasmanian Aboriginal people; and recognises the unique and lasting contributions that Tasmanian Aboriginal people have made and continue to make to Tasmania. "It is the Government's preference to reach agreement in outstanding areas, such as land handbacks, joint land management, and Aboriginal heritage and relics, before considering a treaty," he said. "During 2017 there will be a further rollout of curriculum resources for teachers to educate students about Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural resources, including ochre and stone tools and mutton birding and fibres," he said.