Mrs BRAHAM - 2006-08-30
The Alice Springs Town Camp Task Force recommendations have been circulated and the minister concerned has indicated in his speeches that the town camps will be opened up. He calls them suburbs. All the town camps in Alice Springs are SPLs, Special Purpose Leases in perpetuity. Is it not the case that holders of SPLs can refuse a person entry, other than Northern Territory government officials? If so, how will you open up the town camps? Will this free access that you have been talking about apply to other organisations, including the media who, at the moment, are restricted in the reporting of what happens in town camps?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question. The announcement made about the future of town camps in Alice Springs is a fundamental one for the future of Alice Springs. To end town camps as we see them now and make them part of suburban Alice Springs is an important step forward for Alice Springs. There are certain conditions that are on those Special Purpose Leases. They are run by organisations - I believe mostly trusts?
Dr Toyne: Trusts, yes.
Ms MARTIN: They are run by trusts and they do set the terms of entry into those Special Purpose Leases.
Our intention is to move from the current state of town camps to suburban Alice Springs. That has a lot of steps in between. Part of that is looking at how the leases are managed. Another major part is how we lift the infrastructure. You are talking about the subdivision of the land, kerbs, guttering and lighting; standard of housing; and, new tenancy agreements.
All that is on the table. As you can understand, it might sound simple to say move town camps to suburban Alice Springs, but there is a lot of work to do. That is why we have put a task force together, and I say thank you to Barry Chambers for being the Chair of that …
Mrs Braham: It is not one of their references.
Ms MARTIN: … and I say, in response to the member for Braitling, the statement has been made that we will change the circumstances of town camps into areas like any part of suburban Alice Springs. There are many elements of that, which you have identified as part of that. We have a lot of work to do. I hope you will come on board and help us.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is an important question. The announcement made about the future of town camps in Alice Springs is a fundamental one for the future of Alice Springs. To end town camps as we see them now and make them part of suburban Alice Springs is an important step forward for Alice Springs. There are certain conditions that are on those Special Purpose Leases. They are run by organisations - I believe mostly trusts?
Dr Toyne: Trusts, yes.
Ms MARTIN: They are run by trusts and they do set the terms of entry into those Special Purpose Leases.
Our intention is to move from the current state of town camps to suburban Alice Springs. That has a lot of steps in between. Part of that is looking at how the leases are managed. Another major part is how we lift the infrastructure. You are talking about the subdivision of the land, kerbs, guttering and lighting; standard of housing; and, new tenancy agreements.
All that is on the table. As you can understand, it might sound simple to say move town camps to suburban Alice Springs, but there is a lot of work to do. That is why we have put a task force together, and I say thank you to Barry Chambers for being the Chair of that …
Mrs Braham: It is not one of their references.
Ms MARTIN: … and I say, in response to the member for Braitling, the statement has been made that we will change the circumstances of town camps into areas like any part of suburban Alice Springs. There are many elements of that, which you have identified as part of that. We have a lot of work to do. I hope you will come on board and help us.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016