Canberra dollars to boost Indigenous movers and shakers

By ERWIN CHLANDA

The more than half a billion dollars which the just launched Aboriginal Investment NT will be extracting from Canberra bureaucrats over five years should be spent mostly on infrastructure “on the ground, in communities,” says Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour (at right).

The money had been stuck in “Federal coffers” – at times as much as $1.3 billion – under the administration of the Aboriginal Benefits Account “and Aboriginal people didn’t have access to it.

“The AINT will ensure the money is spent in the right areas and in line with Aboriginal aspirations,” says Ms Scrymgour.

And it may well be time for the Aboriginal land councils “to let go”.

She says instead of the Commonwealth Government spending money on putting infrastructure in some of these communities, AINT money could be used “rather than people getting monetary payments”.

The spending will be controlled by a board which has not just advisory functions, but decision making powers.

It consists of a member from each of the four NT land councils, including Barbara Shaw from the Central Land Council, plus four “expert, skilled members, finance and legal people” appointed by the Federal Government.

Moves to unlock these funds started by Minister Ken Wyatt under the previous coalition government.

Ms Scrymgour says the money comes from mining royalties, about 10% of revenues, and “land payments” mandated under the NT land rights act.

“How do we get Aboriginal people to be part of wealth creation? We’ve got to make sure that this money doesn’t sit with certain people in urban areas. If that money doesn’t go out into the bush we’ll see more urban drift.

“People are leaving their communities in huge numbers and they are coming into places like Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine and Tennant Creek.

“We need to make sure that this body actually makes a difference to Aboriginal people. That the money is not being chucked to the same Aboriginal organisations and the money disappears or doesn’t make a difference to Aboriginal people.

“We need to make sure self-interest doesn’t bog it down or money gets syphoned off elsewhere.

“We need roads, we need buildings.”

The funds should be used to start up Indigenous businesses as well as attract non-Aboriginal companies and employers onto remote areas.

NEWS: Aboriginal people own half the Territory’s land and for much of half a century they had the opportunity of using it. Leasing land to commercial interests has been an option for for some time. In The Centre very little of that has happened.

SCRYMGOUR: The land rights act has evolved particularly over the last 10 years. There are more long leases, including for agriculture. Township leasing can be applied. With my mob, over on the Tiwi Island, there are industry players with 40, 50 year leases. There are a number of hotels and tourism ventures, hire car companies. That works really well. Each of the three major communities have their own businesses set up. You always have public servants and tour groups coming over. Young Tiwis are employed.

NEWS: Are there obstacles?

SCRYMGOUR: People need to be in proper control of this. If you want industry to come onto this land they’ve got to be able to have long term lease arrangements and not have the interference by individual traditional owners. What’s really important, one or two disgruntled TOs can’t sack somebody and get them off the island. The agreements have to be binding.

NEWS: There is an enterprising spirit in other Top End places.

SCRYMGOUR: It’s the same as the Yolngu mob (in north-easter Arnhemland), they took over the mine, they are running all of the enterprises. It was the vision of Mr Yunupingu. The Northern Land Council has given control over the area back to the Yolngu people. They’ve set up a number of businesses and they are in total control over it. That’s what land councils should be doing, generate wealth and to have Aboriginal people be part of that wealth creation. Land councils have also got to not be afraid to let go. And people should not entangle themselves in past grief either. The politics of the past has got to be let go and people just have to look forward. And with that fund, there has never been a better time to do it.

Ms Shaw says AINT was established to take independent control of Aboriginal dollars previously locked up in the federally-controlled ABA.

“Funds were being poorly invested and under-utilised by Canberra-based decision-makers.

“The plan sets a five-year roadmap to strategically invest and deploy $655m million.”

The News put questions in writing to Ms Shaw and the Aboriginal Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy. Both declined to be interviewed.

• Does the AINT have a required Return On Investment and if so, what is it in percentage points?

• What will happen if it is not achieved?

• How many staff will the AINT have and at what cost?

• What will be the annual cost of the running of the organisation?

IMAGE at top: Ms Scrymgour’s “mob” on the Tiwi Islands are part of the enterprising Top End, likely to get a further boost from the now streamlined Federal organisation dealing with mining royalties for traditional owners. Will they leave The Centre further behind?