03/09/09: GOVERNMENTS’ REVIEW OF ABORIGINAL HOUSING SCHEME IN THE NT

Contents:
Governments’ review of Aboriginal housing scheme in the NT
Responses to the backlash against James Anaya’s statement
Intervention Walk-Off
Still more media responses to proposed national Indigenous body

GOVERNMENTS’ REVIEW OF ABORIGINAL HOUSING SCHEME IN THE NT:

– Background

WGAR News:
Government failure over Northern Territory Aboriginal housing (24 July 09)
http://wgar.info/240709-government-failure-over-northern-territory-aboriginal-housing/

– Review of SIHIP

Australian Government / Northern Territory Government:
Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program
– Review of Program Performance.
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/progserv/housing/Documents/sihip_review.pdf
28 August 2009

– Media Release

Hon Jenny Macklin MP with Hon Paul Henderson MLA:
Improving Indigenous housing in the NT
http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/jennymacklin.nsf/content/sihip_31aug09.htm
31 Aug 09: “The Australian and Northern Territory
Governments today released the report of the review into
improving the delivery of the Strategic Indigenous Housing
and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) in the Northern
Territory (NT). SIHIP represents the largest investment
ever made in Indigenous housing in the NT. The Australian
and NT Governments accept all the findings and
recommendations of the review and urgent action is already
underway to implement necessary program reforms.”

– Radio

CAAMA Radio morning News
(Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association):
http://caama.com.au/radio/caama-radio-news-1st-of-september-2009/
1 Sep 09: “* N.T. Indigenous housing still behind schedule
* $450,000 for the cost of a remote house”

ABC PM: Problems found with NT Aboriginal housing program
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2009/s2672299.htm
31 Aug 09: “The Federal Government’s program to build
houses for Aborigines in the Northern Territory was
announced 18 months ago, but still hasn’t resulted in one
completed home. Yet a review found today that despite the
cost blow-outs, governance problems and delays – the
program is sound. The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister,
Jenny Macklin has been under fire over the program.”
[includes comments by Jenny Macklin, Jim Davidson and
Nigel Scullion]

– News

ABC: Public wants Indigenous housing fix: Amnesty
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/02/2673786.htm
2 Sep 09: “A new opinion poll shows 70 per cent of
Australians believe improving the living conditions of
Indigenous people should be a high or very high priority
for the Federal Government. The Nielsen survey coincides
with a review of the $672 million Strategic Indigenous
Housing and Infrastructure Program, which has failed to
build a single house since it was announced in April last
year.”

Australian: Call to axe Macklin over red-tape cost
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26015523-5006790,00.html
2 Sep 09: “INDIGENOUS Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin should
resign or be sacked over the federal government’s
management of a $672 million Aboriginal housing initiative,
according to Aboriginal politician Alison Anderson.”

ABC: Housing review forces renegotiations
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/01/2672940.htm?site=news
2 Sep 09: “Indigenous communities that did not secure
signed contracts for new houses will have to have more
discussions with the Northern Territory Government because
of forced changes to the Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program.”

ABC: Labor rejects housing ‘incompetence’ claim
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/01/2673063.htm?site=news
2 Sep 09: “The Northern Territory’s Housing Minister, Rob
Knight, has rejected the Opposition’s view that a $672
million Indigenous housing program has been so badly
managed the Commonwealth is taking it over.”

ABC: Housing blow-out: kingmaker backs Govt
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/01/2673571.htm?site=news
2 Sep 09: “The Northern Territory Government is blaming the
Commonwealth Government for massive overspending on the
$672 million remote Indigenous housing project.”

National Indigenous Times:
Labor underestimated lack of infrastructure: Housing minister
http://www.nit.com.au/story.aspx?id=18522
1 Sep 09: “Infrastructure has become the hot topic in the
Northern Territory’s Indigenous housing saga, after a
government minister admitted Labor had little idea of the
magnitude of the problem. NT Housing Minister Rob Knight
said it was only after work had started in remote
communities that the government realised the extent of the
needs on the ground.”

National Indigenous Times: Intervention housing scheme
wouldn’t have met targets, report finds
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=18518
1 Sep 09: “A report into a remote Aboriginal housing scheme
in the Northern Territory has found it was behind schedule
and over budget. Outrage over the lack of progress of the
$672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) prompted the NT and federal
governments to review the scheme.”

WA today: Heat on Macklin over indigenous housing
http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-national/heat-on-macklin-over-indigenous-housing-20090901-f5tf.html
1 Sep 09: “Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny
Macklin has faced renewed calls to step down following the
bungling of a $672 million indigenous housing scheme in the
Northern Territory. Former NT government minister Alison
Anderson, who quit the Labor party in protest over the
troubled project last month, believes Ms Macklin should be
held to account for its failure.”

Koori Mail: CLC: Accountability a two-way street
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
1 Sep 09: “THE Central Land Council has called for greater
accountability to be enshrined in any leases the Federal
Government wants to take over Aboriginal communities. While
welcoming a greater federal role in Strategic Indigenous
Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP), CLC Director
David Ross said that, once attention moved elsewhere,
governments often slackened off or diverted Indigenous
funds elsewhere.”

SMH: Review damns indigenous housing program
http://www.smh.com.au/national/review-damns-indigenous-housing-program-20090831-f5cy.html?skin=text-only
1 Sep 09: “THE Federal Government’s $672 million indigenous
housing program was running three months behind schedule
and was overly optimistic in its plan to build 750 houses
cheaply, a review says.”

Australian: Some bitter, others sweet over housing
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26008619-5019180,00.html
1 Sep 09: “IN the first three Northern Territory
communities to receive new houses and refurbishments under
the $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program, a mixture of gratitude and
resentment greeted the release of yesterday’s review into
the program.”

Australian: Macklin’s intervention avoids wreck
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26008613-7583,00.html
1 Sep 09: “IF anyone needed further evidence of the
Northern Territory government’s ongoing failure in
indigenous policy, here it is. Almost $50 million has
already been spent, consultants have been well paid and
Aborigines who are receiving a free house to live in have
been given the comfort of choosing the colour of their
loungeroom walls.”

Australian: Jenny Macklin’s housing ultimatum
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26009551-601,00.html
1 Sep 09: “THE federal government has given the Northern
Territory four months to lift its game on Aboriginal
housing after confirming $45 million was spent on a housing
program without a single house being built.”

Koori Mail: Remote housing scheme struggling: report
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
31 Aug 09: “A REPORT into a $672 million scheme to build
houses for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory has
found it was behind schedule, over-administered and
unlikely to produce the promised number of houses. Federal
Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin released the
review of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) today, saying improvements
were already underway.”

Australian:
Macklin slashes red tape to rebuild Aboriginal housing scheme
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26006313-601,00.html
31 Aug 09: “THE Rudd Government has stepped in to save its
$672 million flagship Aboriginal housing program, slashing
bureaucracy and taking a more hands-on role. Fears were
expressed earlier this month that the cost of the program
could blow out to more than $1 billion.”

– Opinion

Australian: Editorial: Labor’s character test
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26014152-7583,00.html
2 Sep 09: “THE Rudd government has entered a new phase
where it is being judged by its own pledges, benchmarks and
expectations: witness the documented defects in the
Aboriginal remote housing program, a pledge that goes to
the legitimacy of Kevin Rudd’s February 2008 apology. …
Jenny Macklin now faces a documented crisis of governance
in the Northern Territory over indigenous housing.”
Paul Kelly

RESPONSES TO THE BACKLASH AGAINST JAMES ANAYA’S STATEMENT:

– Audio recording of James Anaya’s statement and press
conference of 27 Aug 09

WGAR: UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya Speaks at National
Library Australia 27/08/2009
http://wgar.info/2009/08/30/un-special-rapporteur-james-anaya-speaks-at-national-library-australia-28092009/

– Text of James Anaya’s statement of 27 Aug 09

http://www.un.org.au/files/files/Press%20Release%20-%20Australia%20JA%20final.pdf

– Media Release

Intervention walkoff’s Blog:
Statement – Press Release from Richard Downs
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/media-releases/
“Warren Mundine – On behalf of my people I am calling on
you to heed the advice of the UN Special Rapporteur on
Indigenous rights and support your people demanding an end
to the NT Intervention. In your statement against the
rapporteur you say the Intervention is protecting of women
against sexual assault, physical assault. But this is not
true – you need to focus on the big picture of what is
happening to us. Your governments so called measures under
the intervention go far beyond this to take away our
dignity, our self esteem, and land control, disempowerment,
human and indigenous rights.”

– Discussion

Crikey Blog:
From Ampilatwatja to Warren Mundine: focus on the big picture!
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2009/09/03/from-ampilatwatja-to-warren-mundine-focus-on-the-big-picture/
3 Sep 09: “Late last week Warren Mundine, billed as an
“Aboriginal leader”, gave Samantha Hawley of the ABC
Radio’s PM program his views of the report by UN’s Special
Rapporteur on Indigenous Human Rights, Professor James
Anaya and his findings that give a damning assessment of
the Federal Government’s Intervention in the Northern
Territory.” Bob Gosford in the NT

– Radio

CAAMA Radio AM News
(Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association):
http://caama.com.au/radio/caama-radio-am-news-020909/
2 Sep 09: “Warren Mundine has been told to wake up and
represent Aboriginal people better by a Central Australian
Aboriginal people better.”

CAAMA Radio afternoon News
(Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association):
http://caama.com.au/radio/caama-radio-afternoon-news-1st-of-september-2009/
1 Sep 09: “* A central Australian Aboriginal spokesman has
told a former President of the Labour party to wake up and
represent Aboriginal people better. * Growing support for
the United Nations on criticism of the N.T. Intervention.”

– News

National Indigenous Times:
Mundine slammed for dismissing UN expert’s comments
http://www.nit.com.au/breakingNews/story.aspx?id=18523
2 Sep 09: “High profile Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine
has been slammed for dismissing the findings of a UN expert
and told to get out of his air-conditioned office and visit
people on the ground. Richard Downs, spokesman for the
Alyawarra Nation in central Australia, made the comments on
Tuesday in response to Mr Mundine’s criticism of the UN’s
special rapporteur James Anaya.”

National Indigenous Times:
Church leaders call on Rudd govt to act on UN’s findings
http://www.nit.com.au/breakingNews/story.aspx?id=18521
1 Sep 09: “Church leaders in the Northern Territory are
calling on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to act on the damning
criticisms of a UN expert on Indigenous rights. … The
professor’s findings have prompted the Anglican Bishop of
the Northern Territory, Greg Thompson, to call on the Rudd
government to reform the controversial measures. …
Michelle Harris, a spokeswoman for the activist group
Concerned Australians, said the commonwealth needed to act
to save the nation’s international reputation. “The world
is watching,” she said.”

Koori Mail: Bishop joins UN criticisms of intervention
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
1 Sep 09: “THE Anglican Bishop of Darwin Greg Thompson has
joined calls for the Federal Government to amend the
Northern Territory intervention in response to criticisms
by UN human rights envoy James Anaya. Mr Anaya described
the intervention as overtly discriminatory and railed
against the blanket application of measures such as welfare
quarantining.”

Islands Business [Pacific islands]: Australia can do more
to improve situation of indigenous peoples – UN expert
http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=16574/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl
28 Aug 09: “James Anaya, the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of
indigenous people, said that during his 11-day visit to
Australia, which wrapped up today, he was “impressed with
demonstrations of strong and vibrant indigenous cultures.” “

ToTheCenter [US]:
Aboriginal Policy in Australia: Human Rights v. Hum
http://www.tothecenter.com/news.php?readmore=11028
28 Aug 09: “The government says that the intervention has
created jobs and reduced violence. But Barbara Shaw, an
Aboriginal leader who led a campaign to get the U.N. to
examine the program, says that Aboriginal struggles have
worsened since the intervention. Welfare restrictions have
forced more people to beg in the streets and racism has
increased, she said.”

– Opinion

Australian: Dos and don’ts of discrimination
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26014154-7583,00.html
2 Sep 09: “Unfortunately, the UN’s assumption that
discrimination is always a dirty word enters more dangerous
territory closer to home. Last week a UN special rapporteur
on indigenous human rights completed an 11-day fact-finding
mission of the Australian government’s intervention in
Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.”
Janet Albrechtsen

– Background

WGAR News:
UN Expert visits Australia to report on Aboriginal Human Rights (18 Aug 09)
http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=145907

WGAR News:
UN Expert James Anaya to examine NT Intervention (19 Aug 09)
http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=145947

WGAR News:
UN Rapporteur visits Aboriginal communities (23 Aug 09)
http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/23/wgar-news-un-rapporteur-visits-aboriginal-communities-23-aug-09

WGAR News:
Visit by UN Expert, James Anaya (26 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/26/wgar-news-intervention-walk-off-community-seeks-un-support-26-aug-09

WGAR News:
UN Expert calls NT Intervention “discriminatory” (29 Aug 09)
http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/29/wgar-news-un-expert-calls-nt-intervention-discriminatory-29-aug-09

WGAR News:
More media responses to UN Expert, James Anaya (31 Aug 09)
http://wgar.info/2009/09/01/310809-more-media-responses-to-un-expert-james-anaya/

INTERVENTION WALK-OFF:

– Background

Intervention walkoff’s Blog
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/

WGAR News:
Intervention Walk-off community seeks UN support (26 Aug 09)
http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/26/wgar-news-intervention-walk-off-community-seeks-un-support-26-aug-09

WGAR News:
Alyawarra people seek UN refugee status (29 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/29/wgar-news-un-expert-calls-nt-intervention-discriminatory-29-aug-09

WGAR News:
Intervention Walk-off (31 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.info/310809-more-media-responses-to-un-expert-james-anaya/

– Interview

Crikey Blog: The Ampilatwatja Walkoff and the “wake-up
call” for Alison Anderson – an interview with Richard Downs
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2009/08/31/the-ampilatwatja-walkoff-and-the-wake-up-call-for-alison-anderson-an-interview-with-richard-north/
31 Aug 09: “Richard has been a vocal spokesman for the
Alyawarra people living at the township of Ampilatwatcha,
350km north-east of Alice Springs. … I asked him if he
had heard back from Jenny Macklin … Richard and his
people weren’t very impressed with the no-show of his local
member, Alison Anderson, up until recently a Minister in
the NT Government and now an independent MLA. But that has
all changed since Anderson visited late last week … I
asked Richard what the group of himself, Roslaie
Kunoth-Monks and Alison Anderson would be doing. … ”
Bob Gosford in the NT

– Discussion

Crikey Blog: Alison Anderson HAS finally seen the light,
gone bush and joined with the “anti-interventionistas”!!
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2009/08/28/alison-anderson-finally-sees-the-light-goes-bush-and-joins-the-anti-interventionistas/
28 Aug 09: “Update – Monday 31st August – I have now been
able to establish that the media release considered below
is in fact genuine. … Yesterday – according to the Media
Release attached below – Anderson joined the widely
respected and outspoken Chairperson of the Barkly Shire
Council, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks (who would be more familiar
to many Australians as the female lead in the ’50’s film
Jedda) and Richard Downs, a spokesperson for the hundred or
so residents of Ampilatwatja that walked off from their
township to a remote bush camp a months ago.” Bob Gosford

STILL MORE MEDIA RESPONSES TO PROPOSED NATIONAL INDIGENOUS BODY:

– Background

WGAR News:
Proposed national Indigenous body (29 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2009/08/29/wgar-news-un-expert-calls-nt-intervention-discriminatory-29-aug-09

WGAR News:
More media responses to proposed national Indigenous body (31 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.info/310809-more-media-responses-to-un-expert-james-anaya/

– News

ABC: Independence ‘to save Indigenous body from ATSIC fate’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/31/2671490.htm?site=news
31 Aug 09: “A western New South Wales Aboriginal leader,
Sam Jeffries, says a new national Indigenous representative
body will be protected from the same fate as ATSIC, if it
is independent of government.”

ABC: Doubt cast over planned Indigenous body
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/31/2671466.htm?site=news
31 Aug 09: “A Wiradjuri elder is cautioning against a new
Aboriginal representative body being comprised of elected
members. … Narrandera elder Stan Grant Senior says elected
members may only be concerned about their own area and it
may be better to appoint the body.”