Mr LANHUPUY - 1994-10-11
I remind the minister that it is now CLP policy not to spend Commonwealth road grants on local roads on Aboriginal land. Does the minister support this discriminatory policy? Is this policy further confirmation of the CLP's attack on Aboriginal land rights which was indicated by the Minister for Industries and Development last week in respect of his government's stand on land rights and Mabo?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the honourable member's premise is false on 2 counts which makes the Question basically an irrelevance. On the first count, it is not government policy not to spend Commonwealth moneys on roads on Aboriginal land. That was a very emotive statement. I noticed recently a letter that the member has been circulating. I had thought the member for Arnhem to be a more honourable person than he has demonstrated himself to be in recent times through the misrepresentation of positions he has been circulating about myself among Aboriginal communities, a matter which I am quite happy to deal with among those Aboriginal communities. On this point, he seems again to be trying to generate some view that the Northern Territory government is somehow applying a racially discriminatory policy in respect of local roads funding. That is absolutely false, and I will explain why.
It was not this government's policy, and it was certainly not the policy of Aboriginal communities, the land councils or ATSIC. In fact, it was Warren Snowdon's policy and the federal Labor government's policy that, without consultation with anybody, they would rip out of the Territory government's budget a sum of money which they decided then to distribute to communities, to local governments, directly as untied funds.
Mr Stirling: It was something to do with the Special Premiers Conference, wasn't it?
Mrs Hickey: Yes.
Mr HATTON: That is not actually quite correct. There will be a debate on this later and we will deal with the comprehensive issues then, but I want to make that point very clearly. Warren Snowdon actively promoted this policy. The so-called federal member for the Northern Territory promoted this, and it is working against the interests of Aboriginal communities. The fact is that the money was taken from the Territory government's budget and was dissipated by being distributed as untied funds across Aboriginal communities around the Territory.
We warned people at the time that problems would be created. Everybody is telling the federal government now that it is a ridiculous decision in the Northern Territory context, and I
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do mean that everybody is telling the federal government that. It is not only the Territory government but also all the Aboriginal communities, the Local Government Association, the land councils and ATSIC, because they cannot do the job with the money they have, quite apart from the fact that the funding that has been distributed is inadequate.
The issue that I believe the member is trying to get at is something that we have been trying to address - and we have done so successfully so far in respect of the Mereenie loop road - and that is that there are some roads on Aboriginal land that we would regard as strategic roads. The link road from Kings Canyon around Mereenie to Gosse Bluff, Hermannsburg and up to Glen Helen is one such. Following negotiations with the Central Land Council, an agreement was reached to facilitate the ability of people to use a public road in a public manner. It was a fairly straightforward procedure and agreement was reached. That road is now accepted and being funded by the Northern Territory government.
The communities from Port Keats to Daly River instructed the Northern Land Council to begin negotiations with the Northern Territory government in relation to their road. Those 4 communities felt that they could not maintain the road adequately and they wanted the Territory government to take it back. They instructed the land council to negotiate with us. It has ignored those traditional owners and it has come nowhere near the government. In fact, I have written to the NLC asking when it will follow the directions of its constituency. For nearly a year and a half, the Northern Land Council has ignored the wishes of the people in the Daly River district, and that is to the detriment of those people.
We can recognise other roads. Honourable members would be aware of the Central Arnhem Highway which runs basically from Bulman through to Nhulunbuy. That road was constructed by the Northern Territory government and we are keen to negotiate arrangements with the land council with respect to it. Quite properly, we are saying that, if we are to spend Territory government funds on maintaining and upgrading public roads, the public should have reasonable access to those roads. That is why we are seeking to facilitate the processes of permit systems across those roads by negotiation with the land councils. All it will take is for the land councils to talk to us and we will be able to sort this out. However, that will not overcome the fundamental problem. Ask the people on Croker Island. They receive $20 000 and it costs them almost that much to bring equipment to the island before any work is done. They simply cannot have the roads maintained with the level of funding distributed.
Fortunately, there is a consultancy under way now. Hopefully, some rationality will be brought to the policy. There is no way that we are operating any kind of discriminatory policy in respect of roads. Certainly, in respect of roads across private land, where public access is available to those roads by negotiation and agreement, we are happy to enter them into the strategic roads program similar to other roads. I ask the honourable member to listen carefully and to participate honestly in the debate later today when the Minister for Transport and Works makes a statement on this subject.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the honourable member's premise is false on 2 counts which makes the Question basically an irrelevance. On the first count, it is not government policy not to spend Commonwealth moneys on roads on Aboriginal land. That was a very emotive statement. I noticed recently a letter that the member has been circulating. I had thought the member for Arnhem to be a more honourable person than he has demonstrated himself to be in recent times through the misrepresentation of positions he has been circulating about myself among Aboriginal communities, a matter which I am quite happy to deal with among those Aboriginal communities. On this point, he seems again to be trying to generate some view that the Northern Territory government is somehow applying a racially discriminatory policy in respect of local roads funding. That is absolutely false, and I will explain why.
It was not this government's policy, and it was certainly not the policy of Aboriginal communities, the land councils or ATSIC. In fact, it was Warren Snowdon's policy and the federal Labor government's policy that, without consultation with anybody, they would rip out of the Territory government's budget a sum of money which they decided then to distribute to communities, to local governments, directly as untied funds.
Mr Stirling: It was something to do with the Special Premiers Conference, wasn't it?
Mrs Hickey: Yes.
Mr HATTON: That is not actually quite correct. There will be a debate on this later and we will deal with the comprehensive issues then, but I want to make that point very clearly. Warren Snowdon actively promoted this policy. The so-called federal member for the Northern Territory promoted this, and it is working against the interests of Aboriginal communities. The fact is that the money was taken from the Territory government's budget and was dissipated by being distributed as untied funds across Aboriginal communities around the Territory.
We warned people at the time that problems would be created. Everybody is telling the federal government now that it is a ridiculous decision in the Northern Territory context, and I
Page 215
do mean that everybody is telling the federal government that. It is not only the Territory government but also all the Aboriginal communities, the Local Government Association, the land councils and ATSIC, because they cannot do the job with the money they have, quite apart from the fact that the funding that has been distributed is inadequate.
The issue that I believe the member is trying to get at is something that we have been trying to address - and we have done so successfully so far in respect of the Mereenie loop road - and that is that there are some roads on Aboriginal land that we would regard as strategic roads. The link road from Kings Canyon around Mereenie to Gosse Bluff, Hermannsburg and up to Glen Helen is one such. Following negotiations with the Central Land Council, an agreement was reached to facilitate the ability of people to use a public road in a public manner. It was a fairly straightforward procedure and agreement was reached. That road is now accepted and being funded by the Northern Territory government.
The communities from Port Keats to Daly River instructed the Northern Land Council to begin negotiations with the Northern Territory government in relation to their road. Those 4 communities felt that they could not maintain the road adequately and they wanted the Territory government to take it back. They instructed the land council to negotiate with us. It has ignored those traditional owners and it has come nowhere near the government. In fact, I have written to the NLC asking when it will follow the directions of its constituency. For nearly a year and a half, the Northern Land Council has ignored the wishes of the people in the Daly River district, and that is to the detriment of those people.
We can recognise other roads. Honourable members would be aware of the Central Arnhem Highway which runs basically from Bulman through to Nhulunbuy. That road was constructed by the Northern Territory government and we are keen to negotiate arrangements with the land council with respect to it. Quite properly, we are saying that, if we are to spend Territory government funds on maintaining and upgrading public roads, the public should have reasonable access to those roads. That is why we are seeking to facilitate the processes of permit systems across those roads by negotiation with the land councils. All it will take is for the land councils to talk to us and we will be able to sort this out. However, that will not overcome the fundamental problem. Ask the people on Croker Island. They receive $20 000 and it costs them almost that much to bring equipment to the island before any work is done. They simply cannot have the roads maintained with the level of funding distributed.
Fortunately, there is a consultancy under way now. Hopefully, some rationality will be brought to the policy. There is no way that we are operating any kind of discriminatory policy in respect of roads. Certainly, in respect of roads across private land, where public access is available to those roads by negotiation and agreement, we are happy to enter them into the strategic roads program similar to other roads. I ask the honourable member to listen carefully and to participate honestly in the debate later today when the Minister for Transport and Works makes a statement on this subject.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016