A settlement agreement has been reached that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who worked in Western Australia for little or no wages between 1936 and 1972.
Eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who worked in Western Australia in the period 1936 to 1972 for little or no wages will be entitled to individual payments.
The WA Government will pay into an administered fund a sum of $16,500 in respect of each eligible claimant, up to a total of $165 million. This maximum total figure would only be paid if there are 10,000 or more eligible claimants.
An additional sum of up to $15.4 million is set aside for the applicant’s assessed legal costs.
The sum to be distributed to each eligible claimant will be determined by the Federal Court and will be dependent on the number of eligible claimants and other deductions to be approved by the Federal Court.
This will occur following a registration process to be led by Shine Lawyers, which the Court will be asked to approve.
Those wishing to submit a claim should contact Shine Lawyers on wastolenwages@shine.com.au.
More information is available here: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/aboriginal-stolen-wages-class-action
