The Federal Government should not have waited a year to introduce an incentive based response to the NT Intervention, tailored to the needs of individual communities, Indigenous rights organisation, ANTaR said today.

ANTaR National Director, Gary Highland said that Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin’s response to the Northern Territory Emergency Response Review had continued the blanket, one size fits all approach of the former Government.

“It’s clear that the transition from the emergency to development phase does need to proceed carefully over time, but asking Aboriginal people in all affected communities to wait a further year to regain the protections of the Racial Discrimination Act is too long,” he said.

Mr Highland said the Minister could use her discretionary powers under the legislation to introduce an incentive based and staged approach tailored to the needs of individual communities.

“This would enable Minister Macklin to remove compulsory income management and other measures once the she is satisfied that a particular community has sufficiently dealt with the issues of violence and abuse.”

“This alternative approach would recognise that the circumstances of individual communities vary greatly and would do away with the one size fits all, blanket approach that has failed in the past,” he said.

“It would still enable compulsory income management to apply in communities where women fear violence and intimidation as a result of humbugging.”

Mr Highland said that although much public comment has centred around income management, this is at best a stop gap measure and no substitute for the sustained, long term action needed to make these communities safe for women and children.

“Of greater importance is the need to change the skewed priorities and wasted expenditure of the NTER so that resources are directed to areas of most need,” he said.

As at July 2008 there were safe houses in only 10 out of 73 target communities (none of which were operational), night patrols in only 14 out of 43 target communities, extra police in only 17 out of 73 target communities, child special services in only 12 out of 83 target communities, and only 20 additional alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers for the entire NT. Proposed new housing is well below the level of need and will not address overcrowding in the majority of ‘prescribed’ communities.

“It’s vital that action to progress these matters is part of the Government’s detailed response promised over the coming months,” Mr Highland said.

Mr Highland welcomed other aspects of the Minister’s announcement including changes to introduce rental payments for five year leases and the proper appeal mechanisms enjoyed by all other Australians.

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