The Queensland government has agreed to pay $190 million in a class action on behalf of an estimated 10,000 Indigenous workers who had their wages stolen between 1939 and 1972.
Lead applicant Hans Pearson took the Queensland government to the Federal Court to claim wages he earned but did not receive due to the Protection Act, which mandated Indigenous workers have their pay given to the state.
State Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Jackie Trad says the Queensland government is committed to righting historical wrongs and her department will work with aging applicants to ensure the settlement is progressed in an expedient manner.