FREE July 2021 VOLUME 11. NUMBER 2. VACCINE MYTHBUSTER LIFTOUT P. 15-18 READY FOR COVID? END OF WATER WOES? PROTECTING UTYETYE NATIVE TITLE EXPLAINED P. 10-13 P. 6 P. 25 ISSN 1839-5279ISSN NEWS EDITORIAL Remote vaccine rollout “nowhere near on track” Land Rights News Central Australia is published by the TERRITORIANS may be Central Land Council three rolling up their sleeves for times a year. COVID-19 vaccines in record numbers, but the official The Central Land Council statistics are hiding how 27 Stuart Hwy slowly vaccinations are going Alice Springs amongst Aboriginal people. NT 0870 By early July, more than a third of all Northern Territory tel: 89516211 residents had received at least www.clc.org.au one dose. email [email protected] More than 17 out of every 100 people had received Contributions are welcome both doses and are protected against getting really sick or dying from the virus when it spreads in the NT. SUBSCRIPTIONS The NT is doing better than Land Rights News Central the rest of the country, but Australia subscriptions are the positive COVID-19 case $22 per year. at the Granites mine that brought lockdowns and mask It is distributed free of wearing to the Territory, has charge to Aboriginal highlighted that too many organisations and Aboriginal Territorians have communities in Central been hesitant to get the life- Australia. saving jabs. To subscribe email Only 11 out of every 100 [email protected] people in remote communities or call 08 8951 6215 had been fully vaccinated, according to Natasha Fyles, the NT Health Minister. ADVERTISING Between April and July 1, the Central Australian Aboriginal Advertise in the only Congress had vaccinated 1306 newspaper to reliably Aboriginal people over the reach Aboriginal people age of 16 in Utju, Mutitjulu, in remote Central Amoonguna, Ltyentye Apurte Congress GP Jessica Johannsen and CEO Donna Ah Chee want everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Australia. and Alice Springs. Almost 400 people, around Next publication date: “If the hospital gets overwhelmed because they don’t five out of every 100 Congress October 2021 clients over the age of 16, had have enough beds it’s the health workers who will have to Rates are at www.clc.org. both doses and were fully vaccinated. make the decisions about who survives and who doesn’t. au/land-rights-news OR “The rollout is nowhere email: [email protected] near on track,” Congress chief What an awful decision to have to make!” OR call 8951 6211 medical officer public health comes to Central Australia,” communities have been so vaccinated as soon as possible Dr John Boffa admitted. Congress chief executive keen. for everybody to be protected COVER This is despite Congress Donna Ah Chee said. “We hear the NT Health from the virus. GPs spending a lot of time Following the Granites mine Department’s rollout has been “We need to have 80 per educating residents before COVID-19 scare in late June, hit and miss,” Dr Boffa said. cent of Central Australians they offer them the vaccine. more Aboriginal people lined “In some remote com- vaccinated and if we don’t “We are going out a week up for vaccinations. munities only three people we’ll be in trouble when before the vaccinations and sit Most Utju residents, for had the vaccine and in COVID comes. It’s not if it down with people to explain example, have now been another, half of the people comes, but when,” she said. the benefits and the risks of vaccinated at least once, got it.” getting vaccinated, and how it but the rollout has been Ms Ah Chee said 80 out of will protect you when the virus patchy and not all remote every 100 people need to get Continued p. 15 Government agrees to land councils’ ABA reform plan THE CENTRAL Land Council decisions about ABA grants has welcomed a government and investments are made by announcement about a new Aboriginal people whose land CLC rangers Tanisha Aboriginal-controlled body generates the fund’s income.” Foster and Tamika to make decisions about the The plan is part of a package Newcastle are educating Aboriginals Benefit Account of reforms of the Aboriginal themselves about the (ABA). Land Rights Act announced Pfizer vaccine. The CLC proposed a by then acting Prime Minister resolution at a combined CLC Michael McCormack during CLC MEETINGS and NLC council meeting in this year’s Barunga Festival. August 2016 to achieve greater NLC chair Sammy Bush- Aboriginal control over the Blanasi told the NT News the 25 - 27 August 2021 ABA. reforms will give Aboriginal Council It then drafted guiding Territorians control over how Kalkaringi principles for ABA reform, the ABA’s so-called ‘royalty which were agreed and equivalent’ funds are spent. 2 - 4 November 2021 endorsed by the Northern, “This will allow Aboriginal Council Anindilyakwa and Tiwi land people to invest in more TBC councils. Aboriginal jobs and support “I am so pleased that years culture and community for our 6 - 7 October 2021 of advocacy by the four grandchildren and beyond,” Executive land councils have finally Mr Bush-Blanasi said. Alice Springs been successful,” CLC chief executive Lesley Turner said. Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt will negotiate Aboriginals “It is long overdue that Continued p. 24 Benefit Account reforms with the four NT land councils. 2 July 2021 OUR VOICES What do you think about the government’s decision to approve the 40 billion megalitre Singleton Station water license? Annie Morrison Tennant Creek “We don’t know what is going to happen to the water, if it will become salty. People need water. Our communities are close to Singleton, so we can get affected by the water if it’s bad. We worry about it. How are they going to supply water to our communities? Is the government going to give us funding for better water? We need water first, before planning for farms around here.” James Glenn Ti Tree “The issue that the community from Alekarenge raised about their water and what the impact could be where they’re growing their vegies. They’ve got the watermelon farm and it’s so Peter Corbett many litres they’re going to use for that Alekarenge number of years. I think there needs to be more input and consultation, “It should not have given them so much water. The water should especially for those who don’t really benefit communities near Singleton. We have a farm that’s operating understand yet, and give them time.” near our community and it’s going to take most of the water away and it’s wasting the water of other communities. It’s not right.” Jeffrey Foster Tennant Creek “The government shouldn’t have done it. The people who own that country, that’s their water. The Chinese mob shouldn’t take over. The water belongs to the people of that country and it should stay that way.” Josephine Grant Ti Tree “It’s not the right decision. I support the traditional owners telling the government not to take so much water. It’s the traditional owner’s land, it’s their water. It’s not the government’s water. The government is in the big city, they should take the water from there, not on country. They need to do a big review.” Ismael Palmer Roger Tommy Lajamanu Alpurrurulam “I think that’s just way too much. It definitely would be a problem “We don’t want them to take all that for our future generations because the amount they are requesting is water, we may have no water left for so much water. We need water for the long term for our people that our communities. They can have two live on their country. These people are just going to come, take that bores, but no more than that. If you got much water and then disappear and the people that still remain on a big mob of bores, you’re using up too country will be affected.” much water.” July 2021 3 NEWS Bush voters complain about discrimination THE AUSTRALIAN Electoral the details of enrolled voters, Commission (AEC) is partly for example the change of a to blame for low enrolment postal address. rates of Aboriginal voters in According to the AEC, Northern Territory remote enrolments rose sharply for communities because it is the 2019 federal election in making enrolment difficult. most cities and big towns. That’s the main charge of But in remote communities, a complaint filed by two Top where most Aboriginal End men in the Human Rights Territorians live, the policy Commission. was not applied. West Arnhem Regional As a result, enrolment Council mayor Matthew numbers were lower than 70 Ryan and Yalu Aboriginal out of 100 voters at the 2016 Corporation chair Ross NT election. Mandi, from Galiwin'ku on The AEC claimed that Elcho Island, off the coast without a "reliable postal of Arnhem Land, lodged the address" it could not complaint in June. automatically enrol new They said the AEC breached voters. the Racial Discrimination Act In bush communities, where by using federal voting laws in street signs and letterboxes ways that discriminate against are rare, this is a big hurdle Aboriginal people in remote for voters. communities in both Federal The complainants said not and NT elections. allowing people to use postal “The Australian Electoral West Arnhem Regional Council mayor Matthew Ryan is one of the complainants. Photo: supplied. Commission needs to answer disadvantages Aboriginal electors in the Northern the question: is this a racially Territory", and should be reviewed.