The first meeting of the Peoples Council of the Murrawarri Republic was held at Weilmoringle on Saturday 13 July 2013 where the Murrawarri Peoples have maintained continuous occupation, presence and possession of their Ancient Murrawarri Land, Subsurface, Waters, Natural Resources and Airspace.
The Peoples Council formally passed a unanimous resolution to establish the Provisional Council of State.
The newly formed Provisional Council of State is: Fred Hooper, Kevin Hooper, Phyllis Cubby, Evelyn Barker, Sam Jefferies, Desmond Jones, Phillip Sullivan, Julie Johnston, Gloria Johnston, Sharni Hooper, and Alison Salt. The Council of State also left positions vacant for other citizens to be appointed in the future.
The Peoples Council formally elected Fred Hooper as the Chairman of the Provisional Council of State of the Murrawarri Republic.
The Peoples Council also bestowed powers, similar to that of the President, under the draft Constitution upon the Chairman to lead the Murrawarri Republic into a new era of self- government and self-determination.
The newly elected Chairman of the Provisional Council of State, Fred Hooper said, “Today is a historic moment. The Murrawarri Republic now has a formal interim government that is responsible for the governance of the Republic. This day is very significant as it begins to free the Murrawarri Peoples from the tyranny of our colonial oppressors.
“We are freeing ourselves from an illegal act of acquisition and from the governing of an oppressive Commonwealth of Australia, formed in 1901 through a racially discriminatory process and a racist Constitution that does not include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
“We are now formally open for business as the newest government in the world. The first order of business is to negotiate with the Governor-General, Her Excellency Mrs Quentin Bryce, a formal reparation and repatriation package which includes:
I. Negotiations for the transfer of all monies collected plus interest by the Governments and the Crown for rent and the sale of Lands, Natural Resources and Water within the Murrawarri Republic boundaries from the time of the first illegal land grant;
II. Issue a public notice which states, “Effective from the date of the Murrawarri Nation’s Declaration of Continued Independence and Statehood that the radical title of all Lands, Subsurface, Natural Resources, Water, Airspace and public Infrastructure will be the responsibility of the Murrawarri Republic and will be managed by the Murrawarri Government”;
III. Issue notices to all land holders individually within the boundaries of the Murrawarri Republic that radical title of all Lands, Subsurface, Natural Resources, Water, Airspace and public Infrastructure will be the responsibility of the Murrawarri Republic and will be managed by the Murrawarri Government; and
IV. Assist in the process of reparation and repatriation of the Murrawarri Peoples, using inter alia the repatriation fund established by Britain for decolonisation, and other such purposes to assist in the development of the Murrawarri Republic within a recovery framework.
“The Peoples Council of the Murrawarri has written to the UN Secretary General requesting United Nations’ assistance in the development of a recovery framework for the repatriation of all Ancient Lands, Subsurface, Natural Resources, Waters and Airspace within the Murrawarri boundaries to the Murrawarri Republic under U N General Assembly Resolution 1541.
“The Council will formally elect its executive organ at the next meeting which will become the Peoples Administration (Cabinet) which will act as the Provisional Government of the Murrawarri Republic.”
Fred Hooper also re-affirmed the Murrawarri commitment to assisting other First Peoples Nations around Australia to fulfil their aspirations of freedom and independence through their own processes, which will assist in the creation of a new political structure of governance on the continent of Australia.
