Government, the Opposition and minor parties should unanimously support the recommendations of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) review report, according to Indigenous rights organisation, ANTaR.

ANTaR National Director, Gary Highland said the report, written by Aboriginal leaders, Peter Yu and Marcia Ella Duncan and former senior public servant, Bill Gray AM, was comprehensive and balanced and provided a blueprint for improving the NTER.

"The Report confirms that the former Minister, Mal Brough was correct in assessing the situation confronting Aboriginal children in NT communities as a national emergency," Mr Highland said.

Mr Highland said the report also points to improvements resulting from a number if the Intervention's measures. These include: a more permanent police presence, income management, as well as measures to reduce alcohol-related violence, to increase the quality and availability of housing, to improve the health and wellbeing of communities, and to advance early learning and education.

"However, the report is justifiably critical of the manner in which many of the Intervention’s measures were imposed, saying that its failure to engage constructively with Aboriginal people has so far compromised its success," Mr Highland said.

The Report points out that:

No matter how good the framework, no matter how much money is available, you cannot drive change into a community and unload it off the back of a truck. That is the lesson of the Intervention.

Deep seated change—safe healthy families—must be grown up within the community. That is the challenge for Aboriginal people.

Mr Highland said he hoped that bi-partisan support would be maintained for the NT Intervention.

"From talking to Coalition Members of Parliament I have no doubt that the original Intervention was motivated by a genuine desire to help Aboriginal children," Mr Highland said.

"However, as the report points out, this genuine commitment has not resulted in outcomes that the Intervention’s architects or the Australian people should be satisfied with.

"I urge the Federal Opposition particularly, to maintain bi-partisan support for the Intervention by supporting the changes recommended by the Review."

Mr Highland said there were also lessons for state governments from the NTER Review.

"Governments like NSW, where the situation is just as grave for Aboriginal children as in the Northern Territory, should learn from the Federal Government’s approach."

Mr Highland said the approach to tackling the abuse of Aboriginal children in NSW has had none of the resourcing or transparency applied to the NT.

"Premier Nathan Reese should seek the advice of report author, Marcia Ella-Duncan on how the NSW approach can be improved in light of the NT experience," he said.

Media contact: Gary Highland on 02 9555 6138 or 0418 476 940.