DEBATES – Tuesday 29 August 2006

surpassed it. It is this to which I would like to something about the chairs and the clocks today. make reference in my response to the minister’s Please refer to that clock. statement. Yes, indeed, the cattle industry was certainly the backbone of the . Ms McCARTHY: Madam Speaker, throughout Arnhem, I have a number of cattle stations, from In recent weeks we celebrated the McMinn Station, Big River Station, Lonesome 40th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk-off, where it Dove, Flying Fox, Moroak and Elsey Station, and was the Aboriginal people who decided that, for even on the Central Arnhem Road Mountain their own rights and for their own reasons, they Valley with Ben and Tracey Tapp who I have been needed to make a stand. able to spend some time with, talking to them about the industry, some of the concerns and In the lead up to those celebrations, there was some of the good things that are happening. much written about the upcoming celebrations at and the reasons why In reference to the indigenous participation as led his people off Wave Hill against what he saw our government has been focused on, especially as injustices in the treatment of Aboriginal people with what was announced at Kalkarindji, we know under Lord Vestey at that time. In those articles that Aboriginal people have a strong affinity to the and the media coverage, there were many land and want to be able to achieve an economic questions raised about just what had been outcome with land and on land and the achieved and to where did the people of businesses they would like to get into. Kalkarindji walk when they left Wave Hill Station. I commend the minister and his staff for Many people have questioned just where the wanting to pursue that wholeheartedly and cattle industry is, especially when there was such vigorously with the land councils, both the a huge participation of Aboriginal people in the Northern and and, indeed, cattle industry. It is here that I would like to focus with the cattlemen’s association. I believe that on our government’s intent on encouraging when you take the time out to talk to members of indigenous participation back into the cattle the cattlemen’s association, and especially in my industry. Those were questions that were conversations with people throughout Arnhem and significantly and rightly raised when we look back the many stations that I have in Arnhem Land, in history and try to judge where we have come there is a deep desire to learn from the history of and where we are going. Those questions that Wave Hill, but to acknowledge that we do need to were raised are questions that we as a look at things in a new direction now and for government look at. With the minister’s push in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to come encouraging indigenous participation in the cattle together, working on the land, respecting the land industry, it was an issue that was discussed at for the betterment of all citizens of this country Kalkarindji, that brought together the land and, indeed, the Northern Territory, and how we councils, the cattle industry and the government to can work together to pursue and forge a new focus on getting indigenous participation back into direction. the cattle industry. There has been a lot of pain and a lot of hurt in In the lead-up to when those questions were looking at the history of black and white relations raised, I would like to address some of those in the cattle industry. Every person who lives on issues about the questions of the walk off, and the land and, indeed, those stations where we why people felt it was important to walk off Wave have dynasties, if you like, certainly in the west, Hill, and whether walking off has affected those has a story - and not all of those stories are good descendants who believe that the cattle industry is stories. We need to reap and grab hold of the still very much a part of their life. That belief is still experiences learnt from the past and embrace it to fundamental and still exists in our communities channel it into positive energy for the future. across the Northern Territory. We only have to There are many things occurring, certainly in the look at the many rodeos that take place in the Gulf district and on the Roper Road, where you Northern Territory and the many young men and can now see the new beginnings of all of these women from these Aboriginal communities who things. take part in the rodeos. Indeed, we have some people from around the Bulman area and even in On my recent trip to Minyerri, some of the the Gulf region who are very strong and very stations that I have mentioned like Moroak, Flying passionate about the cattle industry competing in Fox and McMinns are along the Roper Road, and rodeo events. at Minyerri, which was also known as Hodgson Downs Station in a previous life before the Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, it Aboriginal people were able to move back and appears that this time clock is stuck on claim it as a community of their own. It was a 20 minutes, but this one is working. There is thriving and the people of Minyerri would like to continue that as an economic

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