FREE October 2020 VOLUME 10. NUMBER 3. WAVE HILL AND LIMBUNYA NATIVE TITLE RECOGNISED P. 5 SUPREME COURT WIN NT LAND COUNCILS AUSTRALIA BACKS FOR LTYENTYE APURTE WANT SAFE WATER ACT ANANGU BLOCKADE P. 3 P. 8 P. 15 ISSN 1839-5279ISSN NEWS EDITORIAL Land councils call for community housing model Land Rights News Central Australia is published by the THE NORTHERN Terri- Central Land Council three tory’s land councils want times a year. the Morrison and Gunner governments to replace the The Central Land Council NT’s failed public housing 27 Stuart Hwy system with a new Aboriginal- Alice Springs controlled model for remote NT 0870 communities, homelands and town camps. tel: 89516211 Meeting in Darwin with www.clc.org.au Indigenous Australians email [email protected] Minister Ken Wyatt and NT Chief Minister Michael Contributions are welcome Gunner before the Territory election, the land councils demanded a return of responsibility for housing SUBSCRIPTIONS design, construction, Land Rights News Central maintenance and tenancy Australia subscriptions are management to Aboriginal $22 per year. people. The land councils agree that It is distributed free of this is essential to closing charge to Aboriginal the yawning gap between organisations and Aboriginal Territorians and communities in Central The chairs of the four NT land councils tell ABC TV News about their community-controlled housing model. the rest of the country. Australia. They support a careful keep negotiating with both We now have a roadmap for and NT governments to see it To subscribe email transition to a community governments about the model. real action,” he said. implemented,” Ms Scrymgour [email protected] housing system governed When the delegates met in “It’s encouraging that added. or call 08 8951 6215 by Aboriginal people at the Ampilatwatja in late August Minister Wyatt understands In the Groote Archipelago, local, regional and NT levels they were so worried about and embraces our model. We they are already implementing that maximises Aboriginal the lack of progress on the welcome his support and call one of the building blocks of ADVERTISING employment and training new rooms and houses they on the NT Government to the new system, a regional and delivers professional had been promised under commit to working with us Aboriginal community Advertise in the only and responsive services to all the national partnership to implement it,” Mr Martin- housing organisation, newspaper to reliably tenants. agreement on remote housing Jard said. according to Anindilyakwa reach Aboriginal people Part of the model is a Land Council chair Tony in remote Central statutory NT-wide Aboriginal- Wurramarrba. Australia. controlled body, together “It’s encouraging that “We support the new model with regional housing because we believe only Next publication date: organisations, that would Minister Wyatt understands Aboriginal accountability March 2021 allow the Territory’s diverse and control will resolve the regions to participate. national disgrace that is the Rates are at www.clc.org. and embraces our model. “The new model is not current NT housing system,” au/land-rights-news OR one-size-fits-all, but it allows We welcome his support.” he said. email: [email protected] for flexible service delivery “We welcome the model’s OR call 8951 6211 and choice,” Northern Land that they have asked staff “We look forward to working support for our neglected Council chief executive to write to the NT and the closely with the NT Minister homelands that haven’t seen COVER Marion Scrymgour said. Australian governments about for Remote Housing, Chansey any new houses for more than The NT-wide body would their concerns. Paech, on implementing our a decade,” Tiwi Land Council manage housing funds CLC chief executive Joe model,” he said. chief executive Andrew and implement housing Martin-Jard is optimistic “The land councils will Tipungwuti said. regulation and standards. about the response. continue to consult with “COVID-19 has taught us An independent Aboriginal- “Both governments have traditional owners and that working and living on our controlled peak body would invested substantial funds in residents across the NT land is essential for the health monitor its performance. NT Aboriginal housing and to find out how the model and safety of our peoples.” Central Land Council are willing to move towards a can meet their needs and delegates directed staff to community housing system. negotiate with the Australian Paddy Doolak at the old Wave Hill homestead. Photo: ABC News, Michael Franchi. CLC MEETINGS 27 - 29 October 2020 Council Kintore 27 - 28 December 2020 Executive Alice Springs Josie Douglas explained the land councils’ community-controlled housing model at the CLC’s Ampilatwatja council meeting. 2 October 2020 NEWS Ltyentye Apurte’s Supreme Court win set to lift remote NT housing standards Enid Young’s sister Annie Young was one of the tenants who successfully took the NT Government to court in 2016. THE LATEST court victory A lower court, the agreements in up to 70 remote of tenants from Ltyentye Northern Territory Civil and communities could come into Apurte (Santa Teresa) in their Administrative Tribunal question. Chansey Paech is long battle with the Northern (NTCAT), last year agreed “We expect that NTCAT Territory Government is with the NT’s housing will award renters in Santa setting new standards for department that having no Teresa compensation for the liveability that all houses in back door did not make her period of time where their open to land council remote NT communities must house insecure. rental properties didn’t meet meet. Supreme Court Justice the standard of ‘humaneness, The landmark NT Supreme Jenny Blokland disagreed. suitability and reasonable housing model Court ruling in September She increased the comfort’ set by the Supreme has put the government compensation the department Court,” Daniel Kelly, from on notice to lift its game. has to pay to Ms Young from Australian Lawyers for The ruling came a day after the $100 the NTCAT had Remote Aboriginal Rights, said. He said the win could “This is far from over. mean that residents in other remote NT communities Government must work with could be owed similar levels of compensation. Aboriginal peaks to ensure all housing The NTCAT will also have is climate change resilient, to work out what the new definition of humaneness and is culturally appropriate in design and reasonable comfort must look like on the ground. control is devolved to communities.” “We know it doesn’t look like the current scenario in remote re-elected Chief Minister awarded to $10,200. communities, where there is Minister for remote housing Chansey Paech said he will study the Michael Gunner declared She also found that the massive overcrowding and land councils’ housing model. that improving houses NTCAT had not listened a failure to carry out repairs “I’M happy to explore the having a say in housing in the bush is “one of the properly when Ms Young and and people living pretty model further.” models,” Mr Paech said. government’s most important another plaintiff, the late Mr horrendous conditions,” Mr That was the response first- “I am looking forward commitments”. Conway, complained that the Kelly told ABC TV. time minister Chansey Paech to continuing to build my The ruling in the test case department had engaged in “This is far from over,” he gave when asked whether strong relationship with means that it is not enough for unconscionable conduct when said. he supported the four NT the four land councils and houses to just be ‘safe’ – they it made tenancy agreements “Other First Nations land council’s community- housing will always be a hot must also meet contemporary with them. communities with almost controlled housing model topic. standards of “humaneness, Justice Blokland asked the carbon copies of the same (see story p. 2). “I want to make sure that suitability and reasonable NTCAT to reconsider what the housing issues, have been One of the five ministerial the future of remote NT comfort”. plaintiffs had said about not monitoring this case very portfolios of the new member housing is driven by remote It means that living in understanding the contracts closely,” he said. for Gwoja is remote and town Territorians,” he said. a house without a back and feeling under pressure to ”We’re acting for Laramba, camp housing. Central Land Council door, a situation elder Enid sign anyway. and expect that others will In his first ABC interview chief executive, Joe Martin- Young endured for six years, The case will now go back to now look at how the standards as minister he said he wanted Jard, would like to discuss breaches the standard for the tribunal. established by the Supreme to study the community- the model during his first habitable housing to which If it finds that the rental Court could be transferred to controlled housing model of meeting with the new all remote community tenants agreements were entered their communities. the land councils closely. minister. are entitled. into unfairly other rental Continued p. 18 “I support the community Continued p.18 October 2020 3 NEWS Wave Hill’s long wait for native title rights ends MORE than half a century kilometres of land. station. Pauline never went to after the late Vincent Lingiari Francine McCarthy, the school. led the strike on Wave Hill CLC’s manager of native “I was about 15 years old Station, the native title rights title, said the determination in the walk off in 1966, I of the strikers’ families have recognises their rights to remember that day. My been formally recognised by hunt, gather and teach on stepfather, mother and the Federal Court. the land and waters and to grandpa were there too.