The running of shops in Yuendumu has split the community It’s a crisp autumnal morning in Yuendumu. The community is just beginning to wake up, many heading to the local big shop to buy groceries.
inside the community-owned store called the Social Club there are many empty shelves and long lines for the cash register.
Bess Price Nungarrayi doesn’t live in Yuendumu any more but she grew up here. She’s related to people on the store’s committee and alleges they’re not operating as they should.
WOMEN in the remote central Australian community of Yuendumu have welcomed a federal government decision to subsidise a new store after an Aboriginal-controlled shop was run into the ground through a series of unpaid loans to community members.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin confirmed yesterday that the federal Government would subsidise another community store for Yuendumu to be run by the Yuendumu Women’s Centre, which had engaged the government subsidiary, Outback Stores, to manage the new shop.
THE controversial Queensland policeman given a $100,000 government payment to replace property he claimed to have lost in the Palm Island riots listed its value with insurers at just $35,000.
It was unclear last night whether the insurance company paid the claim, which Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley told the Queensland Police Service he was submitting, although its policies covered riots.
Former federal Indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough is visiting a remote Aboriginal community in South Australia but some leaders there say he is unwelcome.
Mr Brough was invited to the APY Lands of the outback to advise on the idea of a Northern Territory-style intervention.
Mal Brough’s visit to the APY Lands divides the local leadership.
Former federal Indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough is visiting a remote Aboriginal community in South Australia but some leaders there say he is unwelcome.
Mr Brough was invited to the APY Lands of the outback to advise on the idea of a Northern Territory-style intervention.
A new report has found almost all Aboriginal people in one Top End community have no understanding of basic English legal terms.
The research conducted by the Aboriginal Resource and Development Service shows 95 per cent of the Yolngu people from north-east Arnhem Land do not understand the meaning of the words bail, consent, remand and charge.
Author Richard Trudgen says many interpreters in the community also lack adequate knowledge of the terms.
Tim Costello Costello also the Federal Government to sign a treaty with Indigenous Australians to help pave the way to equality.
He says there are a number of ways Australia can move forward after this year’s formal apology for past actions and a treaty would be a first step in granting fair rights and justice.
"I think Australia is ready to discuss a treaty – New Zealand, Canada and the United States all have treaties and, in terms of protecting fundamental rights and advancing them, they don’t have to be just between sovereign nations – there are other ways that we can have this discussion maturely."
World Vision chief executive Tim Costello says he thinks government intervention is needed in the APY Aboriginal Lands in the South Australian outback to help end cases of child abuse.
Mr Costello has given an Indigenous rights speech in Adelaide, urging the same level of care and attention for Aboriginal communities as white communities.
He says the Mullighan Inquiry into child abuse in South Australia highlighted the urgent need for action.
"The first duty is to protect children and when you see the children are at risk in any other community you say what must we do to protect them, so intervention is one way to protect children and, if we can’t do it any other way, absolutely we should be intervening," he said.
"It can’t be self determination leading to benign neglect, saying ‘Well over to you, it’s you running it so we’re out of the picture’.
"As I say, no white community could survive with that sort of approach."
An income management program, part of the Northern Territory emergency response, has been delayed for two weeks in the central Australian community of Yuendumu because the community owned store does not want to be licensed.
The move has been seen as an act of protest against the intervention because shops must be licensed to process people’s quarantined welfare payments.
Compensation pay-out: Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley
Queensland police officer Chris Hurley has been paid about $100,000 in compensation for items he lost when his house was burned down during the Palm Island riots in 2004