FREE October 2017 VOLUME 7. NUMBER 3. OUR GIFT TO ALL ANTHWERRKE INTERACTIVE TOUR APP LAUNCHED P. 6 NORTHERN TANAMI IPA WUTUNURRGURA BUILDS SEVEN SISTERS ARE FLYING TURNS 10 COMMUNITY SPIRIT P. 14 PG. # P. 4 PG. # P. 19 ISSN 1839-5279ISSN NEWS EDITORIAL Land Rights News Central Bush tenants need NT rental policy overhaul Australia is published by the THE TERRITORY’S Aboriginal Central Land Council three peak organisations have called times a year. on the NT Government to The Central Land Council review its rental policy in remote communities and 27 Stuart Hwy come clean on tenants’ alleged Alice Springs debts following a test case NT 0870 in the Supreme Court that tel: 89516211 highlighted rental payment chaos. www.clc.org.au At stake is whether remote email [email protected] community tenants will have Contributions are welcome to pay millions of dollars worth of rental debts. APO NT’s comments The housing department is pursuing Santa Teresa tenants over rental debts they didn’t know they owed. respond to the test case and SUBSCRIPTIONS reports since at least 2012 that several changes of landlord. half the Santa Teresa tenants that their houses be repaired, the NT Housing Department The department countersued owe an estimated $1 million in that they tell them about all Land Rights News Central has trouble working out who 70 of Santa Teresa’s 100 unpaid rent. this debt. It’s disgraceful.” Australia subscriptions are has paid what rent and when, households who took it to the When Justice Southwood With over 6000 houses $22 per year. and whether non-payment of tribunal for failing to fix their asked the Territory’s barrister across the Territory operating It is distributed free of rents was the fault of tenants houses last year, claiming Trevor Moses why the under the same rental system, charge to Aboriginal or bureaucrats. APO NT is concerned that organisations and “The Gunner government “These debts took years to build up, tenants elsewhere may face communities in Central has declared an interest in similar crippling debts, but Australia. fixing remote housing. If it and the department never have not been told by the wants a solution it will need told the tenants they were making department. To subscribe email to have more courage than “The government needs [email protected] the governments before it, and incorrect payments.” to come out and explain the or call 08 8951 6215 address this issue head on,” situation and the status of APO NT’s Leeanne Caton said. they had caused the damage department did not raise the these debts,” Ms Caton said. In a test case involving one of themselves and owed rent. debt with the tenants earlier, “If tenants are looking at ADVERTISING 70 Santa Teresa residents who The Australian newspaper he didn’t have an answer. repaying 10 or $20,000, reported the department “These debts took years to Advertise in the only last year sued the department for many people in remote for failing to repair and first claimed the tenant owed build up, and the department communities, who are already newspaper to reliably $20,000 in back rent, then cut never told the tenants they experiencing financial distress reach Aboriginal people maintain their homes, Justice Stephen Southwood ruled this to $4,000 and now plan to were making incorrect that will be an insurmountable in remote Central amend the claim again. payments,” Ms Caton said. burden.” Australia. that the tenancy agreement of a randomly selected resident According to the “It wasn’t until the tenants Next publication date: signed in 2010 is valid despite department’s records, about took them to court demanding Continue p.4 May 2018 Rates are available online Will the government frack under the pressure? at www.clc.org.au/land- rights-news OR email: THE NT Government is The CLC delegates voiced [email protected] OR under increasing pressure many concerns about fracking, call 8951 6211 to lift its temporary ban on especially about its big use fracking, ahead of the report of water and its impact on of the independent scientific climate change (see also story COVER inquiry into the controversial p 20). Lynette Ellis shows technique. “If fracking goes ahead, off the Anthwerrke The inquiry’s much will the government be able interactive tour she and anticipated final report, due to control it?” asked Mary before the end of the year, James who had travelled to other traditional owners will put the ball firmly in Chief the meeting from Elliott. funded and developed Minister Michael Gunner’s “Can the poisons be removed with their parks rent court. from the environment money. On one side are community safely?” Owen Torres, from members who want the Wutunurrgura, wanted to controversial gas extraction know. technique banned for good. Patrick Oliver, from On the other is the Ntaria, was worried about Australian Government, which whether the large amounts of is ratcheting up the pressure groundwater used in fracking on the NT Government to lift Scott Dinny protested during Justice Pepper addressed the will cause springs to dry up. the ban. “How are you going to the Freedom Day Festival at CLC’s council meeting in May. The NT, along with Victoria, Kalkaringi. manage our precious water?” NSW, WA and Tasmania, have he asked. complete or partial bans on Justice Pepper promised coal seam gas exploration or “How are you going to manage answers to all these questions, development. but made it very clear that the Prime Minister Malcolm our precious water?” decision whether to lift the CLC MEETINGS Turnbull, under pressure ban on fracking was the NT 7-9 November himself from east coast voters, threats to cut Commonwealth that energy companies such Government’s alone. Council, is blaming the fracking bans, payments to the Territory if it as Santos sell most of the gas The moratorium on fracking Alpurrurulam including the NT’s, for a gas doesn’t lift the ban. Australia produces overseas, was a key election promise of shortage that has pushed up Mr Gunner says the NT at lower prices. the Labor Party, which was 18-19 November prices. already produces more gas Independent inquiry chair responding to widespread Executive, “Pull the trigger, Gunner,” than it can use and is happy Justice Rachel Pepper told community concern about Alice Springs the PM said during his visit to sell it to the other states or the CLC’s council meeting its impacts on the local and to Darwin in September. welcome their industries to in Tennant Creek that the global environment. 6-7 December He demanded the NT lift the the Territory. Gunner government had Opinion polls show the ban Executive, ban on fracking and wrote to He is not the only one who asked her team of experts remains very popular. Alice Springs the Chief Minister that the does not buy the gas shortage to find out whether fracking Mr Gunner said he will not ban is putting jobs at risk. story. could be done safely in the be bullied by the Australian There have also been Experts have pointed out Territory. Government. 2 October 2017 NEWS Should the NT Government allow fracking or not? Teresa Ross Yuendumu If the governement allows fracking, it would wreck Aboriginal lands, it is not only bad for the land, but it is bad for the animals and the people too. Sam Watson Yuendumu I don’t think they should allow fracking because they would go to sacred places where we don’t even go. They would damage those places and have no respect for the land. Also, we are hunting and eating bush tucker and if they pollute the ground the animals and plants we eat will be contaminated too and we might be sick. Cliffy Tommy Yuelamu We know only a little bit about fracking. They’ve shown us photos of what happens, they just make a mess and leave. They already wanted to do it a couple of years Wanta Janpijimpa ago and the community said no. So no, I don’t Lajamanu think fracking should be allowed. Fracking is not a good thing and me being an indigenous person from here, I would like to see the land like it has always been. Fracking would interupt ecosystems. I haven’t seen it in action, Martin Hagan but all indigenous people around the world seem to go against Laramba it and it seems to bring chaos. I don’t want to see fracking here. I think it’s a bad idea because on the land we have animals and plants and our water supply as well under the groud. Some people in my community have no idea of what fracking is. We need someone to come down and explain, to show us a video of what is happening in other countries. Valerie Martin Yuendumu No, because it’s gonna destroy our land. We already have no water left in Yuendumu, we have ground water shortage so no, we don’t want fracking at all! Ron Hagan Laramba I can talk only for my country, but they can’t do it here. It will hurt the land and pollute the ground water. This is not good! Owen Torres Wutunurrgura CENTRAL LAND COUNCIL ONLINE No, there are too many uncertainties with fracking. Our water is sacred and we need to protect it from any contamination. We don’t Website Digital archive Facebook have water like other countries. Fracking is not the way to go and www.clc.org.au http://clc.ara-irititja.com @CentralLandCouncil we shouldn’t be forced into something the government should You can also contact us : FREECALL 1800 003 640 | [email protected] have been able to deal with without selling all our gas reserves.