One of Australia's most eminent barristers, Tony McAvoy SC, has been appointed as a part-time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to co-lead the ALRC's inquiry into the future acts regime in the Native Title Act 1993.
Mr McAvoy, who has recently acted as Counsel-assisting during the Yoorrook Justice Commission truth-telling inquiries, will assist the Hon Justice Mordecai Bromberg in the inquiry.
A Wirdi man from Central Queensland, Mr McAvoy has over three decades of experience in Native Title, property, and environmental law, and is widely acknowledged as the nation's most experienced First Nations barrister.
Attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the appointment "ensures the inquiry has the benefit of Mr McAvoy's unparalleled expertise".
"Mr McAvoy will co-lead the inquiry in investigating and developing options to rectify any inequality, unfairness or weaknesses in the future acts regime which governs how development projects occur in areas subject to native title," Mr Dreyfus said.
In 2015, Ms McAvoy became the first First Nations person to be appointed Senior Counsel, and currently practices at the NSW Bar, specialising in native title and land rights.
A strong advocate for Indigenous rights, he told a statewide Treaty Gathering in Victoria earlier this year that prior to colonisation, First Nations people were "wealthy in all respects that mattered to us…spiritually, physically and culturally wealthy…tied to our lands and waters with our identity".
Mr McAvoy has formerly held roles as Acting part-time Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court from 2011 to 2013, Acting Northern Territory Treaty Commissioner between 2021 and 2022, and Commissioner of the NSW Independent Planning Commission from 2021 to 2024.
His appointment will run for 18 months or until the conclusion of the inquiry.
