The Federal Opposition has accused the Government of sending mixed messages to Indigenous communities over the Northern Territory intervention.
The Government is threatening to compulsorily acquire Aboriginal town camps around Alice Springs because talks with the council that controls them have broken down.
The Government is offering $125 million in return for a 40-year lease, but the Tangentyere Council has rejected the deal.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin says that has left the Government with no choice but to take over the land.
“These camps have been the sites of horrific crimes,” she said.
But the Opposition’s Tony Abbott says the timing is odd.
“The Government is certainly sending mixed signals,” he said.
Last week the Government released a discussion paper on the future of the intervention which Mr Abbott believes is aimed at watering down the policy.
The Northern Territory Opposition says the Commonwealth’s announcement is evidence of a second – and necessary – intervention.
The Opposition’s Indigenous affairs spokesman, Adam Giles, says the Territory’s Chief Minister Paul Henderson has had many opportunities to take action but once again the Government has been forced to seek help from above.
“The Henderson government has the opportunity to act and cancel the leases, they haven’t done it,” he said.
“Now it’s time for the Federal Minister to intervene for the second time and take control of these camps.”
Move welcomed
Meanwhile, a group representing Native Title holders living in Alice Springs town camps has welcomed news the Federal Government is taking the first steps to compulsorily acquire the camps.
The Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation represents Native Title holders in some of the town camps and chief executive Darryl Pearce says it is time to break the deadlock.
“Lhere Artepe is very supportive of the Commonwealth taking this action, we’ve watched for a long time now as both side have dilly-dallied and hurried back and forward over the negotiation table,” he said.
“In the meantime, conditions for people on the ground have declined dramatically as well as the fact that people have probably been injured physically and emotionally on the camps while this has been going on.”
The president of Tangentyere Council Walter Shaw says he will not be making any comment on the announcement today.