Central Land Council
in this section
CLC Press Releases
- 14 Augyust 2008 2008
- Communities have their say on intervention ›› more
- 31 July 2008 2008
- Fairfax news in bad taste ›› more
- 24 July 2008 2008
- election: accountability needed ›› more
- 17 July 2008 2008
- Royal commission needed into NT funding ›› more
- 11 July 2008 2008
- Simpson Desert: the last land rights claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act ›› more
- 8 July 2008 2008
- Sacred site damage at Wilora ›› more
- 30 May 2008
- Seal the Mereenie Loop Road Now ›› more
- 27 May 2008
- Angela Pamela Negotiations ›› more
- 9 May 2008
- Angela Pamela and the native title process ›› more
- 18 February 2008
- Coalition should support permit system ›› more
- 15 February 2008
- Politicians threaten to derail fresh start ›› more
- 22 January 2008
- Police ignorance upsets Lajamanu community ›› more
- 26 November 2007
- Optimism for a fresh consensual approach on Aboriginal affairs ›› more
- 21 November 2007
- Concerns over Central Petroleum tactics ›› more
DELEGATION GOES TO CANBERRA IN LAST DITCH ATTEMPT
A delegation from the Central Land Council will travel to Canberra on Tuesday in a last attempt to meet the Minister for Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough.
The Government is set to introduce legislation to compulsorily acquire Northern Territory Aboriginal communities for five years and change the permit system.
At a Council meeting earlier this week, the Land Council members identified permits and community leasing as the issues that they were most concerned about in the Government's ‘emergency' intervention.
CLC Director David Ross said that while the delegates were broadly supportive of health and education measures, they could see no link between preventing child abuse and taking land and permits away.
“Their main concern is what happens after five years, and there was little faith in the Government's promises that their land would be returned to them at the end of those leases,” Mr Ross said.
“They are extremely concerned that there will be a ‘free for all' on Aboriginal land once permits are no longer required for communities – more people , more alcohol, more drugs, more porn, more theft, but less control.
“People are also upset about CDEP, especially the fact that that their jobs have been destroyed purely so that the Government can reduce and control their meagre incomes,” he said.
Mr Brough has never met with the Land Council although he has been invited to meetings on several occasions.
Land Council members were angry that the Government hasn't involved them in changes which will have a huge impact on their communities.
Representatives from the CLC's regions were chosen by the Council to travel to Canberra .
3 August 2007
Contact: Jane Hodson 0417877579 0889516217