Indigenous Housing

Alan Saunders and Kerry Stewart / By Design, ABC Radio National
In this program Alan Saunders talks to Paul Pholeros and Carroll Go-Sam about the environment in which Indigenous people live: the houses, schools, hospitals and community centres' impact on physical and mental health and social cohesion. Posted 29-10-2007

Aboriginal Intervention

Late Night Live ABC Radio National 03 October 2007 MP3 / Audio
Professor Jon Altman
Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the ANU
Harry Scott
Chief Executive Officer of the Titjikala Community Government Council.
An update on the progress of the federal government's intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

End to employment program

Breakfast. ABC Radio National, 14 September 2007 Audio Streaming, MP3
For the last 30 years, Indigenous Australians in remote communities have had access to the Community Development Employment Program, better known as CDEP. It's a scheme which employs locals on community projects. This week the CDEP will end, as part of the federal government's intervention policy in the Northern Territory. The government says CDEPs are outdated and will be replaced by a national 'work for the dole' scheme.
Remote communities have grave fears about the change, as Madeleine Genner reports.
Guest: Professor Jon Altman, director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (AEPR) at the ANU

ABC News : Indigenous

Minister denies Indigenous art community under treat
Federal Minister for Workforce Participation Sharman Stone denies hundreds of jobs in the Indigenous art community are at risk with the scrapping of the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program in the Northern Territory.

School enrolments up since intervention
The Northern Territory Education Department says its latest figures show there has been a jump in the number of children enrolled in school since the Federal Government intervention.

Gynaecologist urges more health support for indigenous women
A Northern Territory gynaecologist has called on the Federal Government to provide more health support for indigenous women.

Shinju festival organiser hopes to inspire other Indigenous groups
The Broome-based Aboriginal organisation that ran this year's Shinju Matsuri Festival, in northern Western Australia, hopes the venture inspires other Indigenous groups to take on new challenges.

Miner reaches deal with Njamal people
A company wanting to mine a rare mineral in the East Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia has struck a land access agreement with the Njamal people.

Ear infections rife in Indigenous kids
Top surgeons says the number of Aboriginal children suffering from severe ear infections in the Northern Territory is a national embarrassment.

Getting Indigenous kids to school

Life Matters ABC Radio National (Streaming audio, MP3)
From the beginning of the 2009 school year, as part of the federal government's controversial intervention policy in the Northern Territory's Indigenous communities, Centrelink will be able to 'manage' the welfare payments of Indigenous parents whose children are repeatedly absent from school.
It's a plan prominent Aboriginal activist Noel Pearson has long been advocating to encourage responsible parenting.
And it's a simple concept, if your children don't go to school, Centrelink will step in and manage your money for you. But is that a fair trade-off? Is it reasonable to expect Indigenous parents to be held solely responsible for chronic absenteeism? And, most importantly, will it get kids to school?

NT Intervention: Sue Gordon

Life Matters ABC Radio National August 29, 2007 (Streaming Audio, MP3)

Yesterday the Prime Minister was in Hermannsburg, west of Alice Springs, on his first visit to an Aboriginal community since the announcement of the Commonwealth's intervention in the Northern Territory.
By his side was Sue Gordon, the Chair of the Northern Territory emergency response task force, set up to tackle child sexual abuse in aboriginal communities. Sue Gordon has visited many communities since that announcement, and she is still going in by invitation only, to talk about the aims of the task force. This week she's speaking at a conference in Canberra on the integration of early childhood services -from an indigenous perspective.

ABC News : Indigenous

Boonthamurra people get native title claim registered
The Boonthamurra people in south-west Queensland have had their native title claim registered by the federal tribunal.

Fears hearing centre opposition creating racist image
A Rochester resident is worried the central Victorian town is appearing racist because of opposition to a proposed Aboriginal healing centre.

Aboriginal anger over child work gang plan
A plan to force schoolchildren into work gangs and make them pick up rubbish until they are visibly tired has caused outrage in a Central Australian Aboriginal community.

PM stands firm on Indigenous permit system changes
Prime Minister John Howard has defended the Federal Government's changing of the permit system governing entry to Indigenous land.

ABC News : Indigenous

Govt urged to boost pay for remote health teams
A former head of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says health workers in remote Indigenous communities should be paid more than those in cities.

Labor denies secret lobbying against NT intervention
The Federal Opposition denies it has been secretly lobbying against the Federal Government's intervention into Aboriginal affairs.

PM makes first trip to Alice since intervention
Prime Minister John Howard will visit Alice Springs today, for the first time since announcing his Government's intervention in Aboriginal communities.

Noonkanbah signs oil and gas exploration deal
A landmark agreement has been signed which will pave the way for oil exploration at the famous Noonkanbah Station in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

More focus sought on SA Indigenous health
Country Health SA says not enough is being done to address the poor health situation in many of South Australia's remote Indigenous populations.

Aboriginal trackers help find nun's body in remote WA
Police are preparing a report for the coroner into the death of an elderly nun whose body was found in scrub south of the Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community on the weekend.

Welfare vouchers raise concerns for checkout staff
An organisation that runs 13 of of the Northern Territory's remote community shops says checkout staff could be threatened if people use food vouchers for welfare payments.

NT Indigenous intervention legislation

The Law Report. ABC Radio
21 August 2007
Last week the Senate passed 500 pages-worth of legislation aimed at tackling abuse of children in Aboriginal communities. Supporters say drastic action is required to protect kids. Opponents say the legislation will destroy Top End Indigenous communities.

ABC News : Indigenous

NT Aboriginal congress pushes for more sex offender rehab programs
The organisation that arranged for sex offender rehabilitation training in Alice Springs says there needs to be programs outside the prison system, not just within it.

Blaze claims Yalata police station
The police station at the Yalata Aboriginal community in South Australia's far west has been destroyed in a fire.

20yr plan aims to improve Aboriginal health standards
Northern Territory Chief Minister has launched a 20-year plan to give Indigenous children the same life standards as other Territorians.

Papunya youth see petrol sniffing as 'uncool'
Youth workers are reporting a "petrol sniffing culture change" in a central Australian Indigenous community.

Wheelchair built tough for outback conditions
Alice Springs designers are putting stunt bike wheels on a specially crafted wheelchair in a bid to make it tough enough to last in a remote community.

Federal Govt urged to offer Tangentyere CDEP assurance
The Federal Government is being urged to ensure the abolition of Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) does not lead to the collapse of Tangentyere Council's aged care services.

ABC News : Indigenous

Vets, Indigenous trust sign land use deal
Traditional landowners and Vietnam veterans have signed a land use agreement at Cape York in far north Queensland.

NT Govt to announce changes to violence laws
The Northern Territory Government will today announce changes to the Domestic Violence Act in response to a year-long review and the Indigenous Child Abuse Inquiry.

Land tenure the key to Indigenous investment: Brough
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough says certainty over land tenure is the key to encouraging investment in Indigenous communities.

Govt denies backflip on Indigenous housing
The Northern Territory's Local Government Minister says that the Martin Government is not in breach of health and safety laws in remote Indigenous housing.

ABC News : Indigenous

Councillors urged to green light Indigenous healing centre
Campaspe Shire is poised to approve the construction of an Aboriginal healing centre in Rochester, in central Victoria, despite community opposition.

Indigenous intervention legislation passes Senate
Legislation allowing the Federal Government's intervention in Northern Territory Indigenous communities has passed the Senate.

More Indigenous men take on health worker challenge
The Northern Territory's newest group of Aboriginal health workers has begun training, and unusually, more than half those enrolled are men.

Credit union seeks answers on post-CDEP future
Australia's only Indigenous-owned credit union says it is struggling to find answers about what the dumping of the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program will mean for its business in the Northern Territory.

Resort aspires to hire Mutitjulu residents
A resort next to Uluru in central Australia says it wants to employ 20 staff from Mutitjulu, but that a federal Minister's aspirations for a higher ratio of Indigenous employees will not happen.

ABC News : Indigenous

Work for the Dole kicks off in NT
The Federal Workforce Participation Minister says Work for the Dole projects have begun in four Central Australian communities.

Overcrowding leads to poor education: Humphries
The Member for the western New South Wales seat of Barwon, Kevin Humphries, says addressing overcrowding in Aboriginal communities is one step towards improving the education of children.

Indigenous population passes 500,000
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia has pushed past the 500,000 mark.

NSW Govt puts $9m towards foster care for indigenous children
The New South Wales Government says it is spending more than $9 million to double the number of foster care places for Aboriginal children in south-west Sydney.

Five year health plan released
An improvement to Aboriginal health will be a major focus for the Greater Western Area Health Service in its newly-released strategic plan.

ABC News : Indigenous

'Little Children' report under fire
The Northern Territory Opposition has backed a new highly-critical analysis of the 'Little Children are Sacred' report into Indigenous child abuse.

NT Housing Dept will offer more for women and children
A former domestic violence counsellor in Tennant Creek says the Northern Territory Housing Department will manage town camps with more accountability than the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation.

NT intervention not improving children's lives: Education Union
The Australian Education Union says the Commonwealth is failing in its responsibilities outlined in the intervention against child abuse in Indigenous Northern Territory communities.

Aboriginal community kicks out Govt survey team
The Yirrkala Community Council in north-east Arnhem Land has confirmed a Federal Government survey team was kicked out of the community during a meeting yesterday.

Stoner puts focus on Moree Indigenous education
The leader of the New South Wales National party, Andrew Stoner, has met Moree's Aboriginal community to discuss improvements to educational outcomes for Aboriginal youth.

Planning under way for remote region emergency plans
Emergency response teams, safety personnel and regional commanders have begun a long-term plan to equip South Australia's remote communities with emergency management plans.

Plan to scrap CDEP worries Indigenous groups
Indigenous organisations have gathered in Darwin to plan the next stage in the fight against the scrapping of the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program in the Northern Territory.

Future looks promising for Point Pearce
A new governing body has been formed for the Point Pearce Aboriginal community on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

Government pleased at response to stolen generation compensation
The Tasmanian Government says it's overwhelmed by the number of Aboriginal people seeking stolen generation compensation.

Indigenous unemployment program begins on Palm Island
A new program to combat unemployment within Indigenous communities has begun on Palm Island in north Queensland.

More Aborigines needed in NT workforce: Minister
Northern Territory Employment Minister Paul Henderson says he will be talking to businesses in the Katherine region tonight about how to better equip Indigenous people for the paid workforce.

ABC News : Indigenous

Indigenous childcare centres deprived
A Palm Island childcare worker in north Queensland says isolation and under-staffing are the major problems facing childcare centres in Indigenous communities.

Intervention bill could face international backlash: HREOC
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) says the Federal Government's legislation for intervention in Northern Territory Indigenous communities could face an international challenge.

Young offenders report draws mixed response
A report on young Aboriginal offenders targeted by Operation Mandrake has split community opinion.

Music helps hearing and health for Qld Indigenous community
Music is being used to improve the hearing of children at a central Queensland Indigenous community.

MP backs Indigenous intervention legislation
Joanna Gash, the Member for Gilmore, on the New South Wales south coast, says legislation allowing for Commonwealth intervention in Northern Territory Indigenous communities will help the communities and their residents.

Coroner to investigate high suicide rate in Aboriginal communities
The high rate of suicide in indigenous communities in Western Australia will be scrutinised by the State Coroner.

Indigenous smokers targeted by NSW Govt
The New South Wales Government will spend $1 million to help reduce smoking rates in Aboriginal communities.

Stolen Generations group wants compo fund created
A group that supports members of the Stolen Generations in Western Australia has backed calls for a compensation fund, after a landmark decision in South Australia.

Ex-footballer backs calls for takeaway alcohol ban
Former footballer Percy Johnson has supported a call by Aboriginal women in Fitzroy Crossing, in northern Western Australia, for a ban on takeaway alcohol.

Brough denies rushing intervention laws
The Federal Government has defended its decision to give parliamentarians just a few days to examine 500 pages of legislation concerning the intervention into Northern Territory Indigenous communities.

Call for higher Indigenous breastfeeding rates
A western Victorian health service says more needs to be done to lift breastfeeding rates in Australia's Indigenous communities.

Aboriginal corporation gets arts centre funding
An established Indigenous art enterprise south-east of Halls Creek, in northern Western Australia, has received its first instalment of funding towards an art centre worth more than $900,000.

ABC News : Indigenous

Agreement to boost indigenous health services
An agreement will be signed next week to encourage doctors training to be general practitioners to work in Aboriginal health services in the western New South Wales region.

NT's AMA chief quits board over 'dictatorship' call
The Northern Territory president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has resigned from a Top End health board over a letter he wrote calling for a "mild dictatorship" to be exerted over Aboriginal health.

Ministers to discuss Stolen Generations payout
Aboriginal affairs ministers will consider the legal implications of this week's landmark Stolen Generations payout when they meet in Adelaide today.

ABC News : Indigenous

Army chief sees troops' efforts in Doomadgee
Australia's top soldier, Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, yesterday visited the Gulf of Carpentaria region in north-west Queensland, to see how troops have transformed a remote Indigenous community.

AMA defends doc over Indigenous health 'dictatorship' call
Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Rosanna Capolingua has defended her Northern Territory counterpart over a letter he wrote calling for a "mild dictatorship" over Aboriginal health issues.

Govt accused of lying on Tiwi permits
A Northern Territory Government minister says the Federal Government has lied to Tiwi Island residents as it tries to get them to sign over their land for 99 years.

Stolen Generations compo a 'leap forward' for reconciliation
A man who has won the nation's first Stolen Generations compensation case says the judgement is a "leap forward" in the push for reconciliation.

AMA's NT boss apologises to Aborigines for letter
The head of the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has apologised for a letter he wrote to the federal Health Minister that says Aboriginal people are culturally incapable of managing health services.

ABC News : Indigenous

Govt to abolish Nguiu township permits
A spokesman for Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough says permits will be abolished for Nguiu on the Tiwi Islands even if the community signs a 99-year lease.

Alcohol bans anger Fitzroy Crossing residents
Opponents of a plan to ban takeaway alcohol in the Kimberley town of Fitzroy Crossing have warned the move could lead to more road accidents on the region's remote highways.

Permit changes needed to tackle child abuse: Chalmers
The operation head of the Federal Government's Northern Territory intervention task force says he is convinced changes to the permit system are necessary to tackling child abuse in Indigenous communities.

ABC News : Indigenous

ACC logs over 150 crimes in Indigenous areas
An Australian Crime Commission (ACC) task force has lodged more than 150 reports on child sex abuse, fraud and drug offences in Indigenous communities since it began nearly a year ago.

Bishop supports calls for takeaway alcohol ban
The Roman Catholic Bishop of the Kimberley, in northern Western Australia, has backed calls for a ban on takeaway alcohol in Fitzroy Crossing.

Olympian slams 'hurtful' images of Aboriginal parents
Olympic gold medallist Nova Peris has criticised the sudden focus on Aboriginal communities brought by the Federal Government's intervention in the Northern Territory.

1yr 'long enough' for police presence in Aboriginal communities
The Northern Territory Assistant Police Commissioner says a year should be enough time for interstate police to be in remote Aboriginal communities.

More Wreck Bay residents reject MP's abuse claims
More members of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community have spoken out against claims by federal Liberal MP Joanna Gash that it experiences problems with abuse, similar to some communities in the Northern Territory.

ABC News : Indigenous

Elders challenging mine in Fed Court
Yanyuwa elders from Borroloola in the Northern Territory have arrived in Darwin to attend this week's Federal Court case against the Commonwealth.

More optometrist visits sought for Alice Springs
An Alice Springs eye specialist says regular visits by health professionals to remote communities are vital to ensure more Aborigines continue being active members of society.

Town camp missed 'once in a lifetime opportunity'
Northern Territory Housing Minister Elliot McAdam says the council which runs the town camps in Alice Springs has missed a once in a lifetime opportunity by rejecting the terms of a Federal Government funding offer.