Certificate of Aboriginality required

December 2014

Daniel* is an Aboriginal man.

Daniel applied to his housing provider for a larger house, for cultural reasons. His application was rejected when he did not provide a ‘Certificate of Aboriginality’ to prove that he was Aboriginal.

Daniel lodged a complaint of race discrimination with ADNSW.

At a conciliation conference, Daniel explained that although he did not have a Certificate of Aboriginality, he had legal documents relating to his removal from his Aboriginal family as a child.

The housing provider said that Daniel had not provided these documents when he made his original application and they would have accepted these as proof of Aboriginality.

Daniel said the housing provider had not told him he could provide other documentation apart from the certificate.

The complaint was resolved when the housing provider agreed to transfer Daniel to a larger house, provide him with a statement of regret, and pay him $3,000 compensation. The housing provider also agreed to review its policy regarding proof of Aboriginality, in consultation with Daniel and the relevant agencies.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.