The West Australian Government should release details of a policy that could see hundreds of remote Aboriginal families forced to leave their homes, according to Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR).

State Indigenous Affairs Minister, Michelle Roberts was recently quoted in the West Australian newspaper that the Government was currently assessing whether or not to continue funding small Aboriginal communities across the state. Ms Roberts was quoted as saying that a Sustainable Indigenous Communities policy would guide the government’s decision making on where funding would be directed.

However, ANTaR National Director, Gary Highland said that his organization had not been able to source a copy of the policy.

"The Minister's Sustainable Indigenous Communities policy is not on the WA Government website and does not appear to have been circulated to Land Councils and other Aboriginal organisations," Mr Highland said.

"It appears that Government decisions impacting on the lives of hundreds of Aboriginal families are being made according to a policy that at best hasn’t been publicly released and at worst hasn't yet been written."

Mr Highland said that he had heard from Government sources that a Taskforce in relation to the new policy had been established, but the composition of the Taskforce and its terms of reference are unknown.

"The Government should come clean about this new policy that could impact of the lives of hundreds of Aboriginal families," Mr Highland said.

Mr Highland urged Minister Roberts to make the policy publicly available and invite comment from affected communities as well as other interested organisations and individuals.

"Aboriginal people need to be involved in decisions impacting on their communities, but to date this hasn’t happened."

Mr Highland said that Aboriginal people were understandably fearful of government moves to defund remote communities, given the former Federal Minister's ideologically driven claim that these were "cultural museums" that should be shut down.

"It needs to be acknowledged that many remote communities and outstations function well. Research from the Northern Territory points to improved health outcomes from people who live on their own country and maintain a traditional lifestyle," Mr Highland said.

"This is an extremely complex and sensitive issue. There is a risk that a policy of the kind being foreshadowed by the Minister could be seen by Aboriginal people to be another wave of dispossession."

Media contact: Gary Highland on 0418 476 940.