The best way towards Closing the Gap is trading oneself out of misery. Start a business. Get into the fast lane.
That, in a nutshell, is the view of Bobby Abbott and partner Mary Tupou (at right). They are already on their way, as the managers of the Ormiston Gorge caravan park and coffee shop, and have recently acquired a business in Alice Springs.
But Mr Abbott says despite the assets his clan can put on the table, via their Taarna Enterprises Aboriginal Corporation, investors are not beating a path to their door: Approaches to two major corporations, one in tourism and one in cattle, have yet to be replied to.
Mr Abbott, member of a prominent Western Arrernte family, and Ms Tupou say the essential by-product of launching into enterprises is creating a self-reliant future for young Aboriginal people.
Pastoralism is a job about which many Indigenous people speak with pride: They or their ancestors, in less than a generation, became some of the world’s best ringers.
So what does the corporation have to offer?
A freehold location, almost 100 hectares, in the magnificent West MacDonnell Ranges national park, a few hundred metres south of the sealed road to Glen Helen resort, which is 20 km to the west. Ormiston Gorge is some 20 km to the north.
A hill, earmarked for a six star hotel (modesty isn’t in Mr Abbott’s vocabulary), offers a view to iconic Mt Sonder.
And most important asset, says Mr Abbott, is a cohort of young people determined to break the dependence on generations-long welfare.
What’s needed, as Mr Abbott sees it, is to replace the hypocritical approach to developing Indigenous commerce: “You call a meeting. You transport people there. You pay meeting fees. You take a photo from behind. You serve lunch. Nothing happens.”
PHOTO at top: It’s a small start but it’s a start: Containers and a row of tents are in place at the site for which Bobby Abbott and partner Mary Tupou have big plans: It all will start with a pottery and ceramics studio with a kiln where Aboriginal artists will work and sell their creations. Below: The view to Mt Sonder.
Why is Central Australia almost the only region nationally at an increased wildfire risk across autumn?
The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services unequivocally links this risk to buffel grass invasion and buffel grass regrowth and curing, enabling fire conditions to overcome the longstanding norm for fire regimes across arid and semi-arid lands where “wildfire frequency is typically once a decade”.
Buffel’s ability to colonise rivers, flood plains, hills, sandplains and sandhills also enables its “continuity of grass fuels” across landscapes.
Fires caused by buffel grass invasion are a global issue, where buffel was implicated in the catastrophic Maui fires in Hawaii in August 2023, which unfortunately resulted in nearly 100 human fatalities.
Bushfires NT on March 1 also extended the Fire Danger Season for the majority of Central Australia until May 2024. This extends the official fire danger period to nine months. The wildfire season began a month earlier, with major wildfires on the edge of Mparntwe Alice Springs burning on August 12, 2023.
The Territory Government still has no strategies to mitigate the buffel grass threat. There is still no buffel grass management plan because buffel grass has still not been declared a weed. This is decades overdue.
More than 50 organisations across health, culture, tourism, land management, the arts, unions and environment have called on Territory Environment Minister, Kate Worden, to declare buffel grass a Class A/B weed for all land tenure types across the Northern Territory.
Alex Vaughan, Policy Officer, Arid Lands Environment Centre
MAP at top by the Australian and New Zealand National Council for Fire and Emergency Services.
The public is getting a first glimpse of what the proposed national art gallery will look like inside, and the outside too seems to have received a new appearance (photo at top).
The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics today released details of a planning application, for public comment, with an April 5 deadline, showing details of all five levels and containing comprehensive information about the project.
There seems to be less space allocation to art works (blue areas) than for “admin” and other purposes – see legend above.
A four or five storey building with retail on the ground floor, two or three levels of car parking and a restaurant on top is a “concept we’re test marketing” says the Yeperenye shopping centre Managing Director Owen Cole.
The complex proposed for the centre’s outdoor carpark, the site of the former Pizza Hut, would be no taller than the Supreme Court building.
Mr Cole (pictured) says in his view the project would meet a need and an investor has already expressed interest.
When asked if that investor is the Aboriginal owned Centrecorp Mr Cole said it is not.
The purpose of the additional car park would be to enhance the businesses in the shopping centre but without boom gates: “People drive through them,” he says. There would be low-key enforcement of a three hour limit.
Asked whether the facility would take the place of the multi-storey car park next to the historic Hartley Street School proposed by the Town Council, Mr Cole said he has now been involved in five “reiterations” of the CBD’s revitalisation. Four of them had come to nothing and he is not optimistic about the current fifth.
He says the proposed restaurant and bar would be a family venue, for good meals and a quiet drink, no pokies and closing around 10pm.
“At this point we’re just exploring it.”
PHOTO: The project is inspired by the 2KW in Adelaide (at top), and similar ones in other cities, says Mr Cole.
The swarm of sales people in the Gillen shop of Milner Meats on Saturday mornings couldn’t make it clearer: The Alice is still a great place for a family business.
They can be a bonanza not just for their owners, but for the workers they train and employ, their suppliers, contractors and business customers, and the community organisations they often support.
For local butcher Dean Nelson, one of three brothers operating the business, it’s a success story of close-knit family ties, building support among local community and sporting groups and being able to see the positive opportunities.
A butcher’s workday begins bright and early, says Mr Nelson, with staff at the Gillen store clocking on at six in the morning to prepare meat trays and get the display cabinets ready.
Over at Milner’s wholesale store in Ciccone, staff start an hour earlier to satisfy the needs of commercial customers such as bars and restaurants, many of whom need same-day deliveries before lunchtime.
Being able to compete with Australia’s established supermarket duopoly is a key part of survival for any local butcher, baker or candlestick maker, and Mr Nelson attributes Milner’s enduring success to an emphasis on quality products and friendly service.
“Those have always been our two biggest drivers on that side. We try to compete with Coles and Woolies as much as we can,” he says.
“Unfortunately, some of their products we can’t compete with on price. But we know exactly where our products come from. We source them from the best possible places. We pride ourselves on giving the best quality we can.”
A crucial part of this strategy was the purchase of a property in Parawa, South Australia, by Mr Nelson’s mother and father in 2003.
“From there, we’ve been able to do more of a paddock to plate with the cows, raising them on the farm and eventually having that meat in store,” says Mr Nelson.
“So we could put a place to where the majority of our meat was coming from.
“Then about four or five years ago, we were lucky enough to buy another farm just down the road, which gave us the capability to expand and start doing a bit of a breeding program with our cattle, and also getting into the sheep market. So now we’re able to grow grass-fed lamb and grass-fed beef.
“My parents are still based in Alice, but spend quite a bit of time [in SA] now. My father runs the farm side of things. He does the purchasing, farm maintenance, the driving of the cattle, he’ll go to the markets, all that kind of stuff.”
Mr Nelson’s father, Peter, bought into the business (originally called Gillen Meats) in 1984, before buying out his business partner in 1986 and changing the name to Milner Meat Supply.
Asked what helps keep a family business going from one generation to the next, Mr Nelson says: “I suppose it was mainly our upbringing as kids. There were four of us boys, and we were a pretty tight-knit family.
Dean Nelson, at right.
“We lived out on the Ross Highway on a five-acre block and didn’t come into town much over the weekend, so we became best of friends hanging out with each other. To this day, we’re still all the best of mates.”
Our conversation turns to Central Australia’s potential for sourcing beef, camel and other meats. Mr Nelson says it’s become difficult without any local abattoirs in operation.
“We used to source camel and some other products locally, when the abattoir at Wambodan was up and running,” he said.
“And we do still source some products out of Gunbalanya Meats [in West Arnhem Land].”
Most NT cattle are exported interstate or overseas. In 2022, over 400,000 head were sent interstate, while close to 180,000 went to overseas markets, mainly in South East Asia, with Indonesia eating up the largest slice of the meat pie.
As for camels, the closure of the Wambodan abattoirs at Bond Springs, 30km north of Alice, has made the round trip a lot longer, adding costs to a product with an already limited market.
“When we had the local abattoirs here, it was perfect,” says Mr Nelson.
“We’d get camel meat, we could do like our camel burgers, camel sausages, all that kind of stuff, all local. It would come to our store fresh within a couple of days.
“But now they’re having to get camels here, transport them down [to abattoirs in SA], and then from there, they have to transport the meat back up.”
Federal Labor last week announced a massive $707m Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, aimed at creating 3000 jobs across remote Australia.
Could part of this program succeed in supporting training, job creation and investment in a Centralian abattoir industry?
The Alice Springs News extensively covered camel management and meat production, including our 2010 report of the establishment of both mobile and fixed abattoirs for feral camel harvesting.
But the vision of a thriving local camel meat industry never quite came to fruition, and instead feral camels are periodically culled in their thousands via marksmen in helicopters, the carcasses left out to rot or be eaten by dingoes.
While we didn’t speak at length about the great camel predicament, Mr Nelson stressed that there would be a “huge benefit” from local abattoirs – not just for butchers and fans of camel cuisine, but for the wider economy in Central Australia.
“We could sort of source a lot more local products,” he says, “which would go down the whole supply chain. Obviously there’d be more workers in abattoirs, on station farms, in transport, carting, all that kind of stuff.
“It would get us a lot more jobs overall.
“The issue we have, especially in our trade and our skill set, is the labour market here.
“There are not quite as many people as we would hope to come into our trade, and to get the staff to be able to run a profitable abattoirs in Alice Springs would be quite a big stretch. You’ve got to find staff, train them and house them. So labour would be the biggest issue.”
It’s a concern that Mr Nelson and his brothers, like many other business operators in Alice, know all too well. In April of last year, Milner Meats were forced to close their popular Northside store due to staff shortages.
Mr Nelson says that, as Alice Springs’ population has become more diverse over the years, so has their workforce.
“We’ve got people from alI around the world. I reckon we have maybe close to 10 different nationalities working at our store.
“We do also get approached by local Indigenous employment agencies about seeking trade pathways, and of course we’re always open to that. I’ve got one Indigenous apprentice at the moment.
“The more people we can get into the trade, the better.”
Aside from providing job opportunities, Mr Nelson says local businesses contribute to the sense of community and belonging that families and individuals can find in Alice Springs.
“We support a lot of local charities and community groups, everything from a local darts team to Riding for the Disabled. And most fundraising barbecues done at Bunnings or whatnot over the weekends, they get their sausages through us.
“We love supporting events which bring communities together. That’s always been one of our big drivers, because Alice Springs has always been such a great town in that sense. You have a good range of sports for young kids and opportunities where your families can get together.”
As for support for local businesses in town, are there government programs or initiatives that could help? Or is enough being done already?
“I do think there could be a few more incentives, not just for those starting new businesses, but to also keep existing businesses in town.
“How they could work that out, I suppose that’s the million dollar question. If I knew the answer, you never know, I could get into politics,” Mr Nelson says with a chuckle.
“But if you’re looking to start a business, Alice Springs is the perfect place for it. The people we have here, the support you get from local people for local business is really good.
“The opportunities you get here are second to none.”
UPDATE Wednesday, March 6, 10am: Police say Praise has been located safe and well. She is with family and police are thanking the public for their assistance.
Yesterday’s report: Police hold concerns for the welfare of 15-year-old Praise Garang.
She was last seen around 3.30pm on Monday March 4 at a residence in Braitling.
Praise was last seen wearing a long sleeved knee length dress. From shoulder to waist the dress is coloured dark navy blue and from the waist to knee it is coloured with black and white polka dots.
She was also wearing black and white runners and may be carrying a black and gold polka dot back pack.
Praise no longer has long hair (as pictured) and now has short dreadlocks.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact police on 131 444, quoting reference number NTP2400022924.
Locals have turned into a shrine the cottage where Kumanjayi Walker was fatally wounded.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
Alleged racism in the ranks and elite groups within the NT Police are under the spotlight in the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker at the Yuendumu police station on November 9, 2019.
Training, management and equipment for Immediate Response Team (IRT) members, and the lack of cultural awareness for officers deployed out bush, were the subjects of intense questioning.
Coroner Elisabeth Armitage last week heard evidence from former police officer Zachary Rolfe, acquitted in 2021 in the Supreme Court of murdering Mr Walker, and from Mr Rolfe’s Officer in Charge, Sergeant Lee Bauwens, head of the IRT.
Mr Rolfe, a former member of the Australian military, who served in Afghanistan, shot Mr Walker three times during an attempt to arrest him.
A string of text messages from smart phones and recordings from body mounted police cameras provided evidence for the coronial hearing.
Text from Constable Hansen in Borroloola: “The cops out here have fucked this town. They’ve been letting the [N-word] drink wherever they want, ha ha.”
Reply from Mr Rolfe: “Bush cops are fucking shithouse.” And later: “Girls and bush cops all disgust me, ha ha.”
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer to Mr Rolfe: “Did it accurately reflect your attitude to a substantial number of the female police you were dealing with?”
ROLFE (pictured during a filmed interview): Not at all. That’s why I’m saying it’s shit talk. I’ve said similar things about generalisations about all men.
Judge Armitage was told Hansen “has apologised profusely, he’s reflected on it deeply”.
Similar regrets have been expressed by Sgt Bauwens who texted to Mr Rolfe in July 2019, four months before he shot the Yuendumu youth: “These bush coons aren’t used to people going after them.”
Counsel Assisting Patrick Coleridge invited Sgt Bauwens to explain: “It’s – it’s – on the text message, your Honour. Zach was replying to – we were talking about a job … about chasing an offender. I made that comment. I have no absolute memory or recollection of that comment whatsoever. It’s not something I say. I don’t like the term. It’s not who I am but it’s there. There is no excuse.”
The inquest in Alice Springs, adjourned to May 27 following surprise events on Friday, is a landmark in open court procedures.
Vision and audio of the hearings are being streamed live for all the world to see. They remain available on YouTube via the court’s website.
Transcripts become available online within a couple of hours after each sittings. The opening remarks by Dr Dwyer were translated into Warlpiri.
Judge Armitage granted very few requests for non-publication orders from the 20-odd lawyers representing Mr Rolfe, the police, the Police Association, and three Yuendumu families and others.
One exception was the suppression order from Judge Armitage of the names of victims “of domestic violence or alleged domestic violence where it is alleged that Kumanjayi is the perpetrator of domestic violence, as I understand it there is”.
The public in Central Australia, a place continuously in the grip of law and order concerns, now has access to a massive volume of evidence about police performance, especially the structuring and use of police “assets”.
These include especially the elite Territory Response Group (TRG) and its “lite” counterpart in The Centre, the IRT, part of which had been sent to Yuendumu to arrest Mr Walker.
The major section of the inquest was due to be completed on Friday, with Sgt Bauwens and Mr Rolfe as witnesses during the whole week. But further racism allegations surfaced, in connection with mock awards handed out an annual family event for TRG members.
The questioning of Mr Rolfe had to be suspended.
Four TRG members issued statutory declarations explaining the meaning of the “Noogada” award.
That, according to James Gray-Spence, an Acting Assistant Commissioner in Alice Springs, is part of the social club for TRG members and their families, in the lead-up to Christmas.
He said it is not called the “Coon of the year award” and it was “given to the member of the TRG who engaged in poor conduct.
“The purpose of the awards is to poke fun at the individual. They are not intended to be offensive not do they intend to wound or demean the recipient,” Comm Gray-Spence stated on oath.
Judge Armitage made a temporary non-publication order covering the award certificates, as requested by Ian Freckleton, appearing for the police.
Sgt Bauwens was a TRG member for 10 years before moving to Alice Springs in 2014 to take on “frontline policing which I enjoy,” as he told the court.
Early on the Alice Springs IRT had been called Cordon and Contain Team, pretty well limited to looking after a crime scene until the TRG arrives from Darwin.
BAUWENS: While I was in Darwin I could see that incidents which happened, they had a capability which to deal with those situations. For instance, like TRG, we deal with anything from high-risk to social order to search and rescue – to anything – siege situations … developed through a general duties’ environment. In my experience, my first four years in Alice Springs obviously I saw several situations that could have been handled, you know, in a better manner or the members there could have provided a better response and a better trained response. I just basically wanted to get out of the Southern Command the same sort of response that the Northern Command enjoy or deserve, assist the members and the people of the community. To provide a better trained response than existed previously.
Counsel Assisting Patrick COLERIDGE: Is it fair to say that what you saw was, look, people were mucking in, most of the time it was going okay, but that without training, planning and structure, there was a risk that things could go wrong?
BAUWENS: Yes, correct.
COLERIDGE: And so that was prior to your return to Alice Springs that that capability was introduced into the team, was it?
BAUWENS: That’s correct. The first plan is a containment plan – cordon and containment. The second plan is an IEA component. It does get a little bit confusing because you can actually formulate an IEA on the way to the situation because you can get … you hear on the radio, they go, “Hey, some really bad stuff is happening in this place, we need to go in there straight away.”
COLERIDGE: I suppose the point I’m making is it wasn’t as if your substantive role became the OIC of the IRT. That was something that you were expected to do in addition to your ordinary responsibilities as custody sergeant, is that right?
BAUWENS: That’s correct.
COLERIDGE: Would you agree that it really does make the job much harder for both the OIC and for the members of the IRT if they’re not designated members of the team like that and are expected to balance their responsibilities with other responsibilities as general duties police officers or so on?
BAUWENS: Yeah, definitely it’s hard for the organiser or the OIC of the section to implement any sort of changes or training. For the members it was also difficult because they didn’t get the opportunity to attend training as much as they wished. Yeah, the limitations of the frontline policing Alice Springs was definitely a massive indicator. I made several recommendations regarding equipment, training and future directions of the team for it to maintain a viable response with southern command. But I also, the memos were not only to request things. They were also to open a line of communication with the executive to tell them what we are, who we are, what we do and what they can expect of us. Because quite often it was a case where they wouldn’t know. So I tried to get them involved in the section which those memos were talked about. And it would also be backed up with an invitation to come look at the training, look at our equipment, see what we do because I’m not too sure if we’re going to touch on it here but I think our section’s been misrepresented pretty badly.
COLERIDGE: Could I ask you just on the question of the relationship between the IRT and police executive, did it surprise you that a tactical team, a “paramilitary team” that had been operating since around 2005, was still relatively unknown to police executive 10, 15 years later?
BAUWENS: Yes. Chain of command in the police force changes so often. Promotions happen and people change positions. So a lot of information is not being relayed or forwarded on and what’s required. Tactical policing, it’s not a popular thing amongst the executive. I had to go to the Deputy Commissioner and just tell him the situation was getting out of hand and something had to be done, and that’s going over a lot of people’s heads to do that … From a period of 2015 to 2017 the section really failed in – yes, in many aspects of training and equipment.
COLERIDGE: Between 2017 and 2019, accepting that I am sure there were improvements, do you think that the IRT could still have improved its command structure?
BAUWENS: It definitely needed more human resources to facilitate that.
COLERIDGE: I mean, first you’ve got to employ someone to be the 2IC before you can have a meaningful command structure, is that right?
BAUWENS: You need the time to allocate a 2IC. You need to train and that would be as part of a full-time section or having – considering all the time allocated to develop 2ICs for that role.
COLERIDGE: Given what we know about some of the things that went wrong on 9 November 2019 (the day Mr Walker was killed), miscommunication, different understandings of what the mission was, do you think that a more formal command structure or a clearer command structure would have assisted to prevent things like miscommunication?
BAUWENS: Yes, command and communication and structure are vital for anything, any section and TRG exactly is your prime example.
COLERIDGE: Do you think that that was something that was needed on the 9th? Do you think that that was a bit of a missing link in this case?
BAUWENS: Yes, I do. I think the level of communication and command was – yeah, it was – I think played a major factor. The section as I saw it the workload was picking up. It was hard to maintain it as a part-time section. I was getting tired. I was doing two jobs at once so I’d been doing it for five years and a lot of it was on my own time. It needed to become a full-time section. I mean … the TRG, I think, do something like to three to four months of full-time training when people start and then there’s pretty consistent training thereafter.
COLERIDGE: Did you think that the IRT needed to significantly increase the amount it was trained?
BAUWENS: Yes.
COLERIDGE: The TRG training is quite intense and as you mentioned it goes for six months or so of training and it’s reinforced on a weekly to daily basis.
BAUWENS: IRT was once every five weeks and that was to train in our core function which was to perform at CPT role which is support function. So our training primarily was around that because that was – and obviously cordon and containment which was green role so we did train in that. So we train in our primary role and we didn’t really have much training time for anything else.
COLERIDGE: Are you aware … now that Mr Rolfe had been the subject of a number of complaints regarding his use of force?
BAUWENS: I don’t recall at that time that I was aware. My knowledge of complaints that they [are] between the member and the Disciplinary Board and I think they’re actually told it’s not to discuss it with anybody. So I wasn’t aware that he had any serious breaches of discipline being investigated for at that stage from my memory now.
COLERIDGE: I mean, you were his patrol sergeant. You were the patrol sergeant for patrol group 5, weren’t you?
BAUWENS: I was patrol group 1 predominately and towards the end, I think we might have went to 5.
ABOVE: Evidence from body worn camera of police intervention at Araluen Park presented by Dr Dwyer. Mr Rolfe:Yeah, it’s completely unprofessional and I have no excuse for that. Dr Dwyer: They were swinging haymakers and not connecting because they were drunk and staggering? Mr Rolfe: Well, they were fighting. Dr Dwyer: Do you think, looking back on that, you could have used verbal commands instead of moving to physical force? Mr Rolfe: That situation was resolved, again, extremely efficiently and quickly, as was encouraged in Alice Springs, to resolve situations as fast as possible. And it may not look good, but pushing two men onto soft grass is a very low level use of force and it can be confronting for people who are not used to confronting violence on a daily basis.
COLERIDGE:Alice Springs is a relatively small police station. Did you not get a sense of who has a reputation for using force?
BAUWENS: There’s lots of reputations in the police force. No, I wasn’t aware of that, but we have reputations of people who have higher arrest rates than others. And they go hand in hand quite often.
COLERIDGE: Were you aware of it at the time that his view was that people, including the executive, were talking about Mr Rolfe’s uses of force?
BAUWENS: No, I wasn’t aware of that.
Mr Coleridge referred to an event that led to Mr Rolfe being charged in court:
COLERIDGE: Judge Borchers made very strongly worded findings about Zach Rolfe?
BAUWENS: He made reference to – that his evidence was, I think different from other police officers. I’m not 100 percent of what he said.
COLERIDGE: It wasn’t just a reference, was it? He found that Mr Rolfe had assaulted [name of victim]. Were you aware of that?
BAUWENS: No, I don’t think that was the gist of it.
COLERIDGE: Okay. Were you aware that he’d found that Mr Rolfe had been dishonest and had given false evidence to the court in order to conceal his assault?
BAUWENS: I didn’t really take much heed about that court case. I know people involved, and I knew it was – the incident was chaotic, as half the people had been sprayed. And to me it was pretty much a volatile situation, and I knew there was conflicting reports of what had happened in there, which in those circumstances is I think accepted. It’s – people do have given reports, but yeah. I really don’t know the exact details of that case.
COLERIDGE: You might think that the one person who did know the details was the judge who heard the evidence in the hearing?
BAUWENS: He was definitely had more knowledge than I would, yes.
COLERIDGE: Would those strongly-worded findings not have concerned you? A very experienced judicial officer not just saying that they have a doubt about someone’s honesty, but positively finding that they were dishonest?
BAUWENS: Well, if that had been the case, then I think some probably more serious repercussions would have occurred, and they’re above my pay scales to consider.
Mr Coleridge, addressing the Coroner, said: “I’ll read the message, your Honour. On 30 July 2019, Zachary Rolfe sent a message in which he described the role of the IRT in this way: “We have a small team in Alice, IRT, Immediate Response Team. We’re not fulltime, just get called up from GDs [General Duties] for high-risk jobs. Sweet gig. Just get to do cowboy stuff with no rules.”
Mr Colderidge summarised red flags and asked Sgt Bauwens: “[One,] There had been a number of complaints about unjustified use of force. Two, that there was a perception among people within the Alice Springs police station … that Mr Rolfe was developing a bit of a reputation for the use of force. Three, a very experienced judicial officer had made positive findings that he’d used force unlawfully. Four, a very experienced judicial officer had made positive findings that he had lied to conceal that use of force. Five, there was an ongoing criminal investigation by Southern Crime Command into potential allegations of perjury. And six, that all of that was occurring against the backdrop of the decline in Mr Rolfe’s mental health and his transition onto medication. If you had known those things, very serious consideration would have been given, either by you or by someone up the chain, as to whether Mr Rolfe needed to be stood down from the IRT?
BAUWENS: That’s – it’s information obviously I know I’ve said, I haven’t had. I worked with Zach on many, many deployments and that’s how I judged Zach and I judged his behaviour, I judged his attitude. Those things described, some of them, I remember the court case. I know very little of the other ones. But it would be cause for a review or from someone, if they wanted to correlate all that information all in one go and make a decision. I daresay, if we did the same thing for every person in the police force, they may even be in a similar position. So the answer to your question is, everything needs to be reviewed and a decision needs to be made on those reviews.
Andrew Boe, appearing for the Walker, Lane and Robertson families, also questioned Sgt Bauwens about the effect, if any, of Mr Rolfe’s court penalty on his recruitment to the IRT.
MR BOE: Now, why do you say that you – that there was no obligation for a member of your team to tell you about those findings, given that that is the very sort of operational task he is likely to be undertaking if deployed?
BAUWENS: If he was to tell me he’s been involved in assaults investigations and – I would take it on board, but a judge’s comments, I would – would not see it as a – as a performance indicator as part of the section.
COLERIDGE: Okay. But the review didn’t occur in this case because you didn’t know?
BAUWENS: No, I didn’t know those things. I only had what I dealt with, with Zach. He wasn’t on my patrol group. I had – he was one of my more respected operatives in IRT, reliable. I worked with his closely on many, many occasions. He demonstrated integrity and professionalism in front of me.
Mr Boe questioned Sgt Bauwens about cultural training of IRT officers deployed to bush communities.
BOE: When we were going through the criteria as selections for an IRT, it did not include anywhere the cross-cultural capacity of an applicant. Do you accept that?
BAUWENS: Cross – that wasn’t – no, that’s correct.
BOE: That’s not a criteria as far you see it?
BAUWENS: No.
BOE: It was not a criteria as to which applicants had prior experience in these environments. Correct?
BAUWENS: I believe it wasn’t. No, it may have been spoken about in the interview, but it wasn’t on the paperwork and I have no knowledge of that. I can’t recall.
BOE: As far as you’re concerned, that was unimportant. Is that fair?
BAUWENS: No, that’s not the correct statement. Nothing – it’s not unimportant, it was just …
BOE: It was not part of any of the criteria you gave in your interview with Carter, nor in your evidence-in-chief today. Is that fair?
BAUWENS: That’s correct. It wasn’t the criteria listed of what we were part of the section.
BOE: And it was not part of the criteria when I explored it earlier. Is that fair?
BAUWENS: Yeah, that’s correct.
BOE: And then you’ve accepted that a high proportion of the targets are Indigenous people in these communities. Fair?
BAUWENS: Well, that’s correct, yes.
BOE: I suggest to you that if there is any IRT or the like being deployed in Indigenous communities that it should be a criteria that they have, if not experience, specialist training in understanding the environment into which they are being sent?
BAUWENS: Well, I’m deploying general duties police officers, so they’ve all had experience with Aboriginals and communities. So that’s the aspect I believe they form. This is the skills enhancement –
BOE: Are you saying that you proceed on the assumption that those applying in the IRT, because they’re general duties police officers, would have the appropriate experience and understanding of those communities?
BAUWENS: They would definitely have a knowledge, yes.
BOE: And how would they have that knowledge if they’ve never been deployed there?
BAUWENS: Well, deployed as in through their general duties policing?
BOE: Yes?
BAUWENS: Well, most of the – I wasn’t aware of who’s been deployed or which bush relief each particular member has been – has conducted, but you don’t get to apply for an IRT unless you have had a previous level of experience in general duties. And I would hope that is where you would achieve that level of knowledge.
BOE: Sergeant, as a lawyer acting for a family who lives in that community, I would suggest to you that it is gobsmacking to hear that you are making an assumption about a critical criteria for police entry into these areas; that you don’t even know whether or not they have any previous experience in these communities?
BAUWENS: That’s the evidence I’m presenting. They have – I rely on the experience they have as police officers, the knowledge they have learned as police officers.
BOE: Did you ever ask them? Did you ever ask them whether or not they had been deployed in these communities?
BAUWENS: I cannot recall if there were any questions directly related to that, no.
BOE: Well, I’m suggesting to you that you’re being quite deflective, that it was never in your mindset to care whether or not they had ever been deployed?
I too remember well the design forum that Domenico Pecorari refers to as being exposing its clients to a bevy of preconceived ideas imported entirely for the suburban planners handbook.
I also remember one traditional owner stating clearly that Kilgariff would never go ahead because there was a sacred tree in the middle.
No matter how many re invigorations of the CBD may come, the truth is that the infrastructure was never intended to cater for the volume or size of the traffic flowsthat it has now.
When I first came here in 1982 there was a rural supplies warehouse in the northern end of the Mall and the famous Bulll Bar in the corner hotel. This is stuff that tourism thrives on but long since gone.
Many of the Western Queensland tourism towns thrive on their history but not here. We had to be like every other suburb in the country.
The current tourism office is surely nice, but if the big Mac food store expected its clients to walk 2000 metres to get a feed they would go broke. Yet that’s what we expect our tourists to do to get information.
It was recently claimed on National radio that the arts industry was worth more than the chicken industry (Radio National). If that is true why is the Red Hot Arts centre stuck away out of sight? It should be on the mall with the other arts outlets.
This signifies the problem. We need to decentralise starting with the post office. There are postal agencies at both the Gap Store south of The Gap and at Larapinta.
Try parking to get a parcel or check the box as a partly disabled person, let alone a caravan as I saw recently.
Everyone of the visitors’ centres that I have visited recently apart from ours starts with adequate parking for both caravans and busses. Ours has neither. And we make them walk to get their info hoping that they will spend their money on the way.
The town must move south for a number of other reasons.We have no huge icon nor room in the CBD to display them. I have visited the big orange, the big lobster, the big banana the big pineapple, the big dinosaur, the big Indigenous family (Aileron )etc. We have the big nothing!
Yet a few years ago I sat at the Welcome Rock south of town waiting for a plane for an hour or so while over 100 tourists climbed and were photographed on that rock. Where were the tourism promotionbodies?
Yet that is only stone’s throw from a national icon in the form of the Transport Hall of Fame. I envisaged an attraction grabber in the form of three Aileron type statues – an Indigenous family, an explorer and a cameleer with camel, all of whom have contributed to our town and living in harmony to grab attention.
The CBD can never cater forthis type of promotion based on vehicle traffic. The Mall could never handle that. One place I visited in Queensland even encouraged visitors to park their cars out of town and go to where they wanted to take placed by electric shuttle bus.That sort of imaginative planning has been sadly lacking in the 43 years I have lived here.
Long term into the future and looking at national security as well, we are at the crossroads of national security concerns with a trans national railway, an internationally rated airport, and with the north-south sealed road, an east-west sealed road and with the completion of the sealed Tanamia direct access to the very exposed Kimberly for defence and security purpose.
The recent arrival of boats of refugees there illustrates the point. Direct access requires a base for the logistics needed for our defence, and the area south of town (Brewer, as a satellite community) is the logical place for such a supply base accessible from all points in the country.
This should be a very rational position for a new direction apart from tourism and very necessary long term. That scenario is essential and needs to be planned for now.
Add to that the significant employment in that area makes a satellite community so obvious, but ignored. Townsville has a mining centre of excellence. We have a magnificent mineral facility at ASRI but ignored.
The whole of the area south of The Gap, including the cultural centre, should be a display, showing what is/was possible here and this centre should be a Mecca for tourism activity, with the road verges planted up demonstrating the bush tucker industry, maintained by the corrections people and promoted as such, and what is left of AZRI using current desert food production from other desert areas in the world.
We are way behind. We should be the standard setters on what is possible if we look around and not simply follow the suburban leader.
I get sick in the stomach when I drive into Adelaide from the north or leave from the south. Is that what we want here?
I remember coming away from that meeting with a sense of gloom.
Trevor Shiell, Alice Springs
PHOTOS: Above – Bob Purvis Sr of Woodgreen Station outside the Stuart Arms Hotel, Todd Street, 1922. At top – the hotel in 1924.
I’ve often heard it said that one shouldn’t engage in public consultation without knowing the outcome of the process.
As an observer of the Kilgariff process in 2008 it was with a strong sense of deja vu that I took part in the latest public consultation exercise, Revitalising Alice, a joint NT government and Alice Springs Town Council initiative.
The initial information pack, released by ASTC in September 2023, defined the three projects that the consultants were limited to: improving connectivity between the town centre and the Todd River; improving the southern end of Todd Mall (to include re-introduction of vehicular traffic); and a multi-storey carpark behind the heritage-listed Hartley Street School.
Noting that these were all civil engineering works the phrase “jobs for the boys” did cross my mind, but I dismissed it immediately. No-one in their right mind would be so blatant, would they?
At the introductory co-design meeting on October 3 the consultants confirmed for me (and all present) that the three “projects” had indeed been selected by the Town Council; that development options for the southern part of Todd Mall had to include opening it up to vehicular traffic; and that ASTC would be determining the “preferred” option. Hmmm, sounds very familiar?
Smaller meetings were held the following day and on the morning of October 5 all the participants convened to sketch up ideas and discuss them, before a final presentation by the consultants that afternoon.
The almost unanimous feeling amongst the participants was that the mall should definitely NOT be opened up to traffic, a sentiment shared, I believe, with many, if not most of the Todd Mall traders in that area.
The most original and exciting idea to come to light was a parkway link (pictured) between the mall and Yeperenye Shopping Centre, utilising Uniting Church land and the existing open car-park behind Hartley Street School.
I‘m glad to see that this idea (in a developed form) has made it into the consultant’s recently released final report that is currently out for public comment.
It includes provision for water play, open air screenings, seating, lawns and shady trees – all things that would improve our town’s “liveability” and, who knows, make people want to come here, and stay.
As a local architect and resident of The Alice since 1985, I’ve seen far too much planning-by-bureaucrats, public servants and councillors who appear to be wanna-be designers.
What are design consultants for, I ask? Would they diagnose their own medical conditions?
Back in June 2008, I got to experience this maxim in practice when, along with over a hundred other locals, I devoted a whole weekend to the “Enquiry By Design Forum” discussing the NT Government’s options for opening up land for housing.
Three of the four options up for consideration were encumbered by native title claims and the fourth was part of the Arid Lands Research Institute (AZRI), located a good 12 km from the town’s centre.
Many of those attending were dismayed that options other than continuing with urban sprawl were excluded from the discussion, ideas such as encouraging more medium density redevelopment within the town’s existing urban footprint, particularly around our suburban shopping centres.
This could be developed as local meeting places, in turn promoting walking and cycling while reducing the need for car use, something that would result in better health outcomes and a heightened sense of community, as well as reducing living costs in what was already a very expensive town.
It was no surprise when, in April 2011, the “best” option” was announced, the one picked by the NT government, for the establishment of a new suburb, to be called Kilgariff.
This time ’round the consultant’s concept designs are on view in the council’s foyer or the dedicated website.
If you want a say in how you want our town to develop, provide your feedback via the website or write an email to feedback@regeneratingalicetc or call a dedicated hotline on 1300 895 538.
Alternatively, have a chat with the mayor of one of the councillors. Submissions close on March 22.
As councillors will be making the final decisions, we have an opportunity to see whether the Council really is “Working for the Community” – or the other way around.
Arts Minister Chansey Paech (pictured), distracted perhaps by the scandal over his ownership of shares in an alcohol distribution business, is not answering questions about the critical underpinnings of a project he is charged to deliver: the national Aboriginal art gallery.
The Alice Springs News emailed him on February 9 – 10 days ago:
• What is the date of [the gallery’s] business case? We covered the Ernst & Young one in 2019, delivered by Mark Crees.
We pointed out that that was before the Covid pandemic, subsequent changes in attitudes to travel, airfares becoming even higher, the persistence of significant disagreement between senior Aborigines and the government about the location of the gallery, a decrease in population, and businesses, meant to be benefitting from the gallery, shutting down. We asked him to comment on all these factors.
• Has there been a new business case? [If not] will there be one? When?
We also asked about staffing for the gallery, understanding that contracts for several non-Aboriginal staff have not been extended.
• Is there a plan for all staff to be Aboriginal? If so, please point out where that is the case.
• Do you believe the director of the gallery should have a profound background in the arts. Do you think the current one [Sera Bray] does?
Ms Bray was confronted by angry members of the public at a meeting in September last year, opposing the chosen place of the gallery at Anzac Oval, the compulsory acquisition of the land from the town council, and stressing that senior women custodians of sacred sites do not approve of the location.
Public safety was mentioned frequently during the public consultation about “regenerating” the Alice Springs town centre but the resulting report provides little of value.
In the Town Council’s latest Mall initiative the final presentation, now up for public comment, does not contain the words CPTED, vandalism, anti-social nor crime.
CPTED stands for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, a world-wide “multi-disciplinary approach of crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design and the management of built and natural environments”.
That clearly infers that CPTED involves initiatives and the creation of assets that can be identified, described and that obviously have a cost.
However that cost is not separated from the project’s total of $20m, which makes it difficult for the public to comment and offer any observations on the town’s most serious problem, entrenched vandalism and crime, despite being invited to do so.
Mayor Matt Paterson, when asked to comment, said CPTED has been taken into account in the planning: “Increased lighting has been put forward. This is on top of funding from the Federal Government for CCTV.”
Mayor Paterson named natural surveillance, access control and management of reinforcement of safe spaces as objectives for CPTED but said it is not possible to define the respective costs: “It’s a part of every project you do. They don’t have a specific cost, it’s part of every project.”
And: “The Northern Territory Government are the appropriate organisation to talk about strategies to address anti-social behaviour, not local government.”
An analysis of the extent and cost of the problems, and of counter measures used elsewhere, has clearly not been part of the consultation brief for the Adelaide-based consultants, Jensen PLUS.
Questions remain: Is this multi-million dollar Mall project again a waste of money, and who will be responsible?
There is almost no explanation of the reasons for the options raised by the consultants in the final presentation.
The Alice Springs News has reported about CPTED for more than 10 years (see Related Reading at the bottom of this page), and about the Mall and CBD for all of the newspaper’s 30 years in publication.
The summary of the consultation last year leaves many questions to be answered.
Between the councillors, the council employees and the Jensen staff, opinion surveys could have been produced about at least some issues: How many people are for or against car traffic in the Mall? Or want a multi-level carpark in the heart of the town?
For example, under the heading of Plenty of big ideas for Todd Mall! the summary of the contribution from more than 300 people was: “Early listening online, meetings & phone conversations … strongly reinforced key themes … safety and security first … a place I want to go and feel safe … no road through the mall … todd mall the heart of the town … desire for inviting design for all!”
For address visual blight of empty properties in interim to business precinct strategy an example is given through before & after photographs (at top and below).
That means there is still no business precinct strategy which makes the current public comment opportunity largely futile.
Mayor Paterson says so far no detailed designs have been done.
Respondents are quoted: “More activity & events – with people all around a place families, tourists, locals, out of towners for family and friends!”
Hartley Street Car Park area features nine dot points including “I like the Exoloo” and two each about shade and security. But we get no for-or-against numbers about “Multi-level car park” which is shaping up as a major controversy.
Children want / like is a useful summary.
Alice is unlike anywhere else tells us: “Todd Mall is the heart of a town. It has grassed sitting area / community space in the middle. Todd Mall is a shopping, dining, community and meeting place. Alice is multicultural and should embrace this. Cooling is key! Labor and maintenance considerations for detail design. Overall: Positive, collaborate and respectful.”
This is the material, the council says, from which the report, now up for public comment, is constructed.
The elephant in the room clearly is Social issues need HIGH LEVEL attention. They certainly are not getting it.
The views of government, police, Town Council, tourism lobby, Aboriginal organisations on the acute anti social behaviour would have been useful in a paper purporting to be a consultation.
The report deals with benchmarking and shade shelters in Nicholas Street Precinct, Ipswich, in Maude Street Mall, Shepparton and a shared street with dedicated signage for cycling in an unnamed town.
But no examples are given how youth crime is dealt with in other places in Australia or overseas.
Related reading on CPTED. Google for Mall and CBD.
Mayor Paterson provided the following statement: Concept designs for all council projects consider CPTED principles and the Regenerating the Alice Town Centre project is no different.
This is now considered standard practice across the architecture and engineering industry.
Each concept for the Regenerating the Alice Town Centre project features CPTED principles, such as surveillance, limiting vulnerable spaces and space management.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) is pleased to confirm its plan to return to full service is well-advanced, with recent hirings significantly strengthening its Central Australian workforce.
NAAJA currently has nine lawyers working in its Alice Springs and Tennant Creek legal teams. The agency is on track to increase that to a roster of 17 staff by March when intake of new youth legal matters is expected to resume.
NAAJA is disappointed by ongoing false statements about its capacity to represent clients.
There is no denying that the organisation has been operating under strained resources as a result of a shortage of staff and an unprecedented demand for legal services, which led to the difficult but prudent decision in November to temporarily suspend the intake of new clients.
Despite this, our hardworking lawyers have continued to provide criminal law services to our clients and have continued to appear in court for existing clients every day.
NAAJA has recently entered into a deal with Territory Criminal Lawyers to provide lawyers for unrepresented defendants in Alice Springs prison.
The Alice Springs NAAJA office is, right now, doing critical work.
All day, every day, this extraordinary team is under pressure: working in a community where Aboriginal people are heavily over policed and overcharged, placing extreme pressure on clients, and their lawyers.
This is not NAAJA’s fault. The rhetoric in the media needs to tone down.
Our client service officers are embedded in the community – a critical link between lawyers and clients. The team is recruiting and growing again, new people are being hired and are coming from around Australia to work in this office.
NAAJA Principal Legal Officer Jared Sharp
PHOTO at top: NAAJA lawyer Julian McMahon AC SC
UPDATE March 14
NAAJA has announces it has returned to full-service last week in Central Australia, with the reopening of its youth legal practice in Alice Springs.
According to a media release, since February an additional nine lawyers have joined NAAJA’s criminal law team in Alice Springs.
“As the main provider of legal services to Aboriginal Territorians, NAAJA provided legal services to more than 8000 clients across a vast geographic area, including very remote locations, during the last financial year.
“Active recruitment was ongoing and the agency continued to be supported by organisations including Legal Aid, O’Brien Solicitors, Ward Keller, and the Australian Government Solicitor’s Office, who have provided lawyers on secondment,” says the statement.
The troubled Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), which also services Central Australia and claims to be “back on track”, has only one of the 17 full time lawyers required for regular operations and only three short term lawyers on call.
This is disclosed by NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash who say in a media release the information comes fromthe Attorney-General’s Department.
They say NAAJA is not fit for purpose as “75 Aboriginal Australians have been left to face local courts without representation since November 20 last year, 21 of whom have been remanded.
“Officials also revealed that core services are still months away from operating at the required level, with youth services resuming on March 1 and adult services to be gradually phased in from April 1,” says Senator Price.
Senator Cash says: “It is unbelievable that the situation was allowed to become this desperate. The warning signs were there, and they were ignored.”
IMAGE from the NAAJA website: 10 women graduated from the month-long Kunga Stopping Violence Program at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre in October last year.
The space between the Todd Mall’s Uniting Church and the Yeperenye shopping centre, between the post office and the old Hartley Street School, may become a public park including a big screen area for events, a cafe, water play jets, climbing equipment, trampolines, a half basketball court, lots of grass and bushes (generated image at top).
But the trade-off may be a two or a four-storey carpark on corner Gregory Terrace and Hartley Street, opposite the Diplomat Hotel and Yeperenye.
The suggestions come from an Adelaide consultancy, Jensen Plus, hired by the town council for a fee of nearly $300,000.
The costs of the carparks are pegged at $19.5m (two level, 236 spaces) or $27.4m (four level, 351 spaces). Jensen suggests the council may like to seek a partner and investor.
The proposed car parks are illustrated in very small images in Jensen’s report, up for public comment until March 22, possibly because of their outstanding ugliness that would become a feature smack bang in the middle of the town, competing with that other monstrosity, as the Supreme Court building is frequently described.
The public may also seek an explanation why so much car parking is needed in a town that can be traversed in a bicycle in 15 minutes. The images are only examples but hands up anyone who’s ever seen a beautiful multi storey carpark.
Another proposal is allowing cars and bicycles in the Mall.
Historian Alex Nelson says: “If the remaining section of the Mall changes to a shared space with traffic, it’s basically gone full circle.”
Some locations invite a “spot the difference” competition. Take the southern end of the Mall. Today it looks a lot like this generated image (above), except there are people in it. Jensen makes no reference to what is clearly the background for the report: The shuttered windows, the closed stores, vandalism, the frequent anti-social behaviour accompanied by shouted profanities – and locals as well as tourists staying away from the place.
But the people in the Jensen images are strolling smugly through the town, peaceful, neat. Jensen does not explain in what way the suggestions it is making will deal with the town’s persistent problems.
A council spokesman, when asked for comment, says the report was largely based on “feedback from community consultation held in 2023″. The News has asked for records of that consultation.
Meanwhile the council assures the public: “No decisions have been made regarding the future of these locations with all stakeholder input informing the final concept designs [including] placemaking and accessibility proposals … and so the overall plan … is indicative and does not represent a preferred design approach.”
Social and economic troubles seem to be taking a back seat to street pavers. They’ve got to go, it seems.
“The Todd Mall One concept is using contemporary brick pavers in an organic pattern, referencing the landscape and hills of Alice Springs,” the report says.
“Paver renewal has the opportunity to be completed in stages along the mall, to reduce disruption for business.
“It may also be possible to reuse existing pavers in other landscaping projects around Alice Springs.”
The report troubles itself to suggest Littlehampton Long Brick clay paver 320 x 50 x 100 mm Milan Series Storm Brown Colour 2 or Blizzard Blend Colour 3 or Shadow.
The report has unusual solutions for The Centre’s fierce sun, an “artistic overhead shading structure with a combination of solid and transparent cells” (above). Trouble is, it has lots of holes in it and covers only part of of the Mall.
Says Mr Nelson: “I note raised garden beds feature in the plan. Just over two decades ago they were removed by the town council because inebriated people treated them as urinals. Aldermen Michael Jones and Samih Habib were prominent in their criticism of these structures.”
However, Mr Nelson says the apparent intention to retain existing trees “is a good thing – the tall eucalyptus trees (sugar gums) were planted for the first semi-mall opened in 1978.
“No major quibbles about the plants depicted [on pages 52 and 53] but there are a few exceptions: Striped Mint-bush is a beautiful local species common in hill country but under severe pressure from buffel grass. Lovely if they can grow it but notoriously difficult to propagate and tends to be short-lived.
• Purple Plume Grass” Triraphis mollis are misidentified, as the photo depicts Purple Fountain Grass, an introduced species (and close relative of buffel grass). This cultivar is harmless and produces non-viable seed.
• Various wildflowers – they are likely to struggle in this environment as they require a lot of exposure to sunlight. The shade from structures and trees will impede their growth; also, many native plant species are susceptible to infestation of red (or two-spotted) spider-mite, a troublesome pest in the urban area (much less so out of town).
The report mentions “River activation” as well as “streetscape and shade structures” are “nearby projects” of the NT Government in Gregory Terrace, Hartley Street, Bath Street and the National Aboriginal Art Gallery.
And of course the word “vibrant” – the adjective used over decades for what the Mall should be, during the frequent and expensive Mall reviews – has enjoyed a rebirth: The current council project is calledA Vibrant Alice Springs CBD.
The NT police also has, per capita, three times more non-operational staff than the nation.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
NT Government released Peak Alcohol Concentration (PAC) statistics – how much grog we drink expressed in litres of pure alcohol – don’t take into account online and other purchases from interstate or overseas.
Anecdotal evidence suggests the inconvenience shoppers are being put to by a string of supply restrictions, regulating the quantity that can be bought as well the times bottlos are permitted to be open, has driven many locals to online shopping.
Yet figures such as PAC are used by the government and some NGOs to justify the restrictions, a strategy that lacks credibility if the statistics are incomplete.
The most recent PAC figures are for the first three quarters of 2023 (the December quarter is not yet available). They show a 15% drop from 2022, but do not include mail orders.
A key feature of the restrictions is the Banned Drinkers Register enforced by police at bottle shops.
How many police? “Those are operational numbers and we’re unable to provide them,” says a police spokesperson.
Yet police numbers are set to become a prime issue for the August election, as it always is at election time in the NT, notwithstanding that the Territory has, per head of population, nearly three times more police officers compared with all of Australia (see Productivity Commission graph at top).
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) is on track to resume its full youth legal practice by taking on new clients within weeks as it boosts its Central Australian workforce, anticipating a March reopening of its Youth Court practice in Alice Springs, which it was forced to temporarily suspend in late November 2023 amid a shortage of staff and unprecedented demand for legal services.
NAAJA has also instigated a new plan to assist people currently in custody without any legal representation. Along with Territory Criminal Lawyers, NAAJA will provide lawyers for unrepresented defendants in Alice Springs Prison.
The organisation has meanwhile entered agreements with several leading legal firms to provide short-term lawyers as well as partnerships with Victoria Legal Aid and the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to recruit lawyers on secondment.
NAAJA simply must succeed. That’s why the board and management have been working overtime in recent weeks to address structural challenges and the concerns of our funders, so we are in a position to resume our full services from March.
Importantly, throughout this challenging period, NAAJA has continued to provide criminal law services to our clients; our lawyers continue to appear in court for existing clients every day and continue to travel to Tennant Creek and all bush courts.
Last year, our lawyers supported more than 8000 Territorians amid overwhelming demand for our services as a result of heavy policing leading to increased numbers of Aboriginal people in detention straining resources.
At the same time, we have been impacted by the same funding and staffing constraints that have hit the broader sector and forced Aboriginal Legal Services in several states to cut services.
Despite facing this perfect storm, the board is confident that the necessary steps are now being taken to build capacity and ensure we can continue to provide high-quality and culturally appropriate services to the community long into the future.
Under NAAJA’s Service Delivery Action Plan, the resumption of taking on new youth cases will be closely followed by adult matters, starting with clients who are in custody.
[We call] on the NT Government to switch the focus of its criminal justice policies away from incarceration towards alternatives, such as community courts, law and justice groups, and bail support programs to reduce the extreme numbers of prisoners on remand.
The latest Closing the Gap report card shows that the NT is going backwards, with the number of children in youth detention increasing while nationwide it is going down. Locking people up in jail is expensive and it doesn’t make communities safer.
NAAJA is calling on the NT Government to urgently repeal laws that contribute to the mass incarceration of Aboriginal people; and to consider smarter options like diversion for adults and more diversion options for young people, on-country programs, holistic family and domestic violence programs, and better bail laws.
Newcomers trickling into The Centre at the start of the year to take up jobs are likely to think the spaces aren’t just wide open, but also empty.
But some will choose to become locals, not just because they see the Todd flow three times, but because they discover the place to be full of fascinating life.
Much of it happens underground. Take the fairy circles.
Fiona Walsh (at right, looking at nasute termite mound, photo by Fiona Webb) and a team of mostly volunteers began studying them in 2016 and their story has now been published in two papers including Nature Ecology and Evolution, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific magazines.
It follows field work in remote desert country in the NT and WA, helped by 92 volunteers from Australia and overseas, some having to return to their day jobs after a weekend of digging.
The 16 co-authors, half of them Aboriginal people with knowledge accumulated over thousands of years, were learning about a phenomenon spread over much of inland Australia.
There are perhaps millions of circles in spinifex country – each with a termite city under a hard, bare capping with “galleries and chambers and chaff stores and living areas that tunnel the subterranean structure,” explains Dr Walsh.
“The winged termites who flew out of the pavements were a major gourmet food for desert people.”
Don’t call termites ants or white ants! Termites evolved 30 million years earlier than ants. In desert Australia, there are about 200 species of termites (see Morton Australian Deserts 2022). Only a few termites are a nuisance for people’s buildings.
Dr Walsh’s team was questioning the theory of a group of German-Israeli-Australian scientists who were looking at the circles in the east Pilbara. They argued the Newman pavement patterns were from plants organising themselves – not from termites.
Ethnoecologist Walsh says the termites live under a concrete-hard surface which Aboriginal people know well as they used the surface to thresh seeds for flour.
Aboriginal people used water collected after rainfall on the circles: “The water holding features of termite pavements would not have been recognised without the Aboriginal team members, two Warlpiri and six Martu and an Honours student, Matilda Nelson.
“That’s a big finding,” says Dr Walsh.
“We would not have looked at the water story were it not for clues from old knowledge, Aboriginal artworks and records in dictionaries.
“Aboriginal people didn’t just add, they led some of our science questions.”
Dr Walsh and colleagues made many trips from Alice Springs to west of Kiwirrkurra, Newman in the Pilbara of WA, Aileron Station north of Alice Springs and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy Sanctuary in Newhaven in the southern Tanami Desert in the NT: To Newman, that’s a trip by plane to Perth and then 1200 km north by car. Other trips were on dirt roads.
“We needed to test our theory with evidence,” says Dr Walsh. Then an international conflict, scientists’ style, broke out.
Researchers in Namibia and Angola joined in, some adopting the views of the German – Israeli – Australians, who insist the patterns were rare, and disregarded the termites despite working in the same areas as the Walsh team.
To complicate the story, a different German-led team demonstrated the circles in Namibian and Angola are from termites not plant self-organisation. In the Namibian case, they say it is sand termites who eat roots. Whereas, in Australia, the circles are occupied by harvester termites who eat dead grass.
The Walsh team showed that the termites “occupy the pavements and maintain them.
“But we can’t say termites created the pavements because we’re also suggesting that the pavements near Newman are possibly from the Pleistocene, perhaps the oldest persistent animal structures in Australia.”
[Pleistocene is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth’s most recent period of repeated glaciations and melts.]
Dr Walsh says further knowledge about the origin of the circles could be obtained by methods such as carbon dating and optical thermoluminescence dating “for which we haven’t got the money.
“This debate continues today. Just last month the German-Israeli-Australian team critiqued our findings so Nature invited us to write an article of reply.”
Unidentified species of flying termites at Ilparpa, photo by Josef Schofield.
This is where logically the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) would come in, with its scientists and technology. Wrong.
Dr Walsh’s former employer shut down its office in Alice Springs in 2017.
“Following the neglect then closure of CSIRO, if it wasn’t for our volunteer work a flawed international theory would remain dominant across at least 10 international research papers,” she says.
“This reduction or attrition of Australian desert scientists comes at a cost for accurate understanding of Australian arid desert systems.
“Over 63 years more than 200 people worked at CSIRO in Alice Springs.
“When I came here in 1993 there were about 15 to 20. Since 2017, there’s been zero CSIRO Alice staff. It’s a national disgrace.
“In a continent that is 70% arid there is very little national science being done that’s based here despite the needs.
“Thankfully, there’s still Charles Darwin University, NT Parks and Wildlife and what happens at Desert Knowledge, but that nation-wide, internationally recognised research that came out of CSIRO has been cut.
“This also means there are fewer young scientists having the opportunity to learn from people who know our dynamic, complex, ancient systems.
“We’re reducing the next generation of ecologists and their opportunities to work with and learn from senior people who understand these systems. This is at a time when Australia touts our commitment to Indigenous people and two-way knowledge sharing between Indigenous people and scientists.”
Undeterred the team rolled up its sleeves, using crow bars, manually digging trenches, plus a “magical tool” very similar to a hair dryer, to gently blow away dust as digging shatters “the capping that keeps the whole structure in place”.
They revealed the galleries and chambers and chaff stores and living areas that tunnel the subterranean structure.
Dr Danae Moore and Mr Schofield examine harvester termite pavement at Australian Wildlife Conservancy Newhaven Sanctuary.
On one trip, three of them dug 60 trenches across 24 pavements over five days. They found 100% of bare circles had termite structures and 40% had live termites.
The worries continued, says Dr Walsh: “Who’s going to pay for the fuel? Whose motorcar can we borrow? What income will I forego to do this crazy work?”
But it wasn’t all bad: “In some ways it was easier to do this work outside of institutions.
“We didn’t have to fill out occupational health and safety forms. We didn’t have to report where we were going and at what hour of the day. Do radio schedules. We had more freedom.”
Some days they had a house to go back to “and wash the red dust off us”.
Other nights they slept in swags and cooked on the open fire.
Dr Walsh doesn’t mind camping out: “I love it. There is lots to learn.
“The real challenges have been in the desk work, writing, revisions and finding a journal to publish in. Nature publishes less than 10% of the articles submitted. We had to go through an arduous review process with five reviewers and several editors.”
Out in the bush “we were a small team. We were sometimes surveying well into the night. They are long days. Sometimes it was hot.
“One time we almost got burned out by a cattle mustering crew who thought that our field work car, an old car, was abandoned.
“The musterers were burning off spinifex to create food for their cattle.
“Some people say the spinifex grasslands are ‘rubbish country’,” says Dr Walsh.
“And yet it’s actually incredibly productive, but the productivity is partly underground. Then in high rainfall periods there is suddenly all the life and activity, when the termites come out to harvest spinifex or fly off to reproduce.”
Sections of harvester termite world collected from windrow by Josef Schofield and sliced by Sally Mumford and Dr Walsh. In 2024, these pieces are touring nationally in the art exhibition ‘Clay on Country’.
So, to the Alice Springs newcomers who drive, fly or camp around Central Australia, look out for termite pavements and their spot patterns and imagine the lives underground and their ancient history.
The paper authors are: Fiona Walsh, Gladys Karimarra Bidu, Ngamaru Karimarra Bidu, Theo Evans, Thelma Milangka Judson, Peter Kendrick, Alice Nampijinpa Michaels, Danae Moore, Matilda Nelson, Carolyn Oldham, Josef Schofield, Ashley Sparrow, Muuki Karimarra Taylor, Purungu Desmond Taylor, Lee Nangala Wayne, Carol Milangka Williams and Martu elders and experts (2023). First Peoples knowledge leads scientists to reveal “fairy circles” and termite linyji (circles) are linked. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 3 April 2023.
The latest government alcohol control effort, now a year old, has resulted in a dramatic drop in bottle shop and online transactions, but how much we drink hasn’t gone down by a lot.
Consumption, measured in litres of pure alcohol (table at right), was down 15% over three quarters of 2023, including 25% in the September quarter. (The December quarter details are not yet available.)
The number of sales being refused because the intending buyers were on the Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) have also decreased.
Tables compiled by the Alice Springs News for 2022 and 2023: Above – point of sale transactions through online and takeaway outlets. Below – the number of transactions ever declined because the person was on the Banned Drinker Register (BDR). Blue lines 2022; green lines 2023.
The large health organisation Congress, turning 50 today, provided a glowing endorsement of the restrictions’ results, providing comprehensive statistics about “a major reduction in crime, including domestic and family violence; and reduced alcohol-related hospital presentations”.
But Bill Yan (pictured), Member for Namatjira and Shadow Minister for Health, says alcohol abuse measures should have received more funding: “We’ve yet to see much of the $250m promised [by the Prime Minister] last year.
“The only thing I’m aware of is the dollars given to Congress to build their new facility on the old Memo Club property.”
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney announced in March 2022 the spending of $10m for a health hub in Todd Street providing programs for disability and aged care; social and emotional wellbeing, and youth and family support, maternal and child health and development outreach, and public health quality improvement, research, policy and advocacy services, with Congress providing $5.5m plus the already-purchased land of $4m.
Mr Yan says about the current alcohol restrictions: “While sales events may be lower the actual Peak Alcohol Concentration volume has remained somewhat constant which would say people are purchasing more alcohol during a single sales event.
“There was a spike in sales volumes in the reporting areas outside of Alice Springs in March 2023. Tennant Creek, Katherine, Palmerston and Darwin all reported higher than normal sales which supports the theories that many problem drinkers from our region moved elsewhere to gain access to alcohol.”
Mr Yan says initially the town camps saw a reduction in “issues” but as people adapted to the restrictions alcohol has returned to many of the town lease areas.
“This can be seen by the empty cartons, cans and bottles of alcohol in the camps and surrounds. What many people have said to me is that grog running has becoming more prevalent.”
It does not seem to be clear to what degree the lower tourist visitation is affecting the drop in alcohol consumption.
“I know from Tourism Central Australia that our tourist numbers have been significantly lower than 2022. Reports from caravan parks were that the number of drive tourists in our region was significantly down on previous years.”
However, Congress is adamant of the restrictions’ success.
CEO Donna AhChee says the number of alcohol-related domestic violence (DV) assaults has fallen by 41% from an average of 115 per month to 68 (and all domestic assaults are down 24%); alcohol-related assaults are down by 42% from an average of 152 per month to 88 (with all assaults down 23%); and property offences are down by 13% from 717 to 621.
Mr Yan says Alice Springs hospital initially reported a marked reduction in alcohol related harm and DV presentations on the reintroduction of restrictions in January and February 2023: “These presentation figures have slowly increased since that time but I believe remain lower than the previous average. I don’t have the latest Health figures.”
Taking a longer view, Mr Yan provided the News with a table comparing the number of offences in 2016 with those in 2023.
These are some of the high-number crimes: There were 3128 offences against the person in 2023, 82% more than in 2016. There were 1127 house break-ins (up 265%). Property offences 7946 (79%). DV 1867 (112%).
Mr Yan says there are crimes not represented in the statistics because they are not recorded although reported.
Ms Ah Chee chronicled the ups and downs of alcohol initiatives: Reforms in 2018 were associated with a 25% reduction in alcohol-related presentations to hospital. The expiry of Stronger Futures July 2022 led to a 35% increase until they fell again by half after the 2023 restrictions came in.
Says Ms Ah Chee: “Congress advocates that alcohol bans alone will not solve the issue of alcohol-related harm in Central Australia, which will require both sustained action to address the drivers of destructive drinking such as intergenerational trauma, poverty, inequality, poor education, and discrimination; and reforms on the availability of alcohol.”
Mr Yan says he’s had many people complaining to him about the days and hours of the restrictions but no-one on the single purchase per day.
“Most complaints are that if an individual wanted to buy a bottle of wine or a few beers on Monday or Tuesday they can’t, they have to plan ahead,” he says.
“They feel they are being restricted or punished because of the minority of alcohol abusers.
“The current government only seem to want to deal with the product, not the person. Alcoholics will go to great lengths to get their ‘product’ even when restrictions are in place.
“There has been no specific focus on dealing with the person which would seem to be the best long term approach to address chronic alcohol abuse. 12 months on from the Prime Minister coming to Alice Springs the government’s focus has been solely on liquor restrictions,” says Mr Yan.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything else that has been introduced to deal with the other issues facing our community, it’s like they have hung their hat on restrictions hoping that this will solve all he problems. Sadly, it hasn’t.”
We’ve invited Tourism Alice Springs to comment.
Jodi Truman, Chair of the Liquor Commission, declined an invitation to comment and respond to several questions from the News, and so did the police.
The Health Department provided a statement but did not answer questions we put to them.
PHOTOS at top: The current Congress headquarters and the former Memo Club, the proposed site for new HQ.
Some of my friends in the health industry servicing Indigenous clients in remote communities were perplexed by the seeming disregard clients had for their wellbeing despite regular attendance at clinics.
“Pus and blood doctors” recounted doctor friend, Howard Goldenberg.
“That’s all we are good for,” he bemoaned, citing the lack of effective follow up, the linguistic shortcomings frustrating effective ministration, and his bush clients’ radically different premises of health care.
He knew that in many instances he was a last resort after clients had consulted their local angangkere traditional healer.
Occupancy rates give the impression that Alice Spring’s public hospital is dedicated almost exclusively to Aboriginal health. Not so. But, as with the gaol, indigenous numbers comprise the majority.
Eva Hayes, Virginia Perkins on crutches, Lilla Miller and sons look on as Noelly Johnson on bended knees, pleads for attention. At the time of the photo in 2009, he was in and out of hospital with a painful foot, none the wiser about its cause or treatment.
The painting meant to amplify the irrelevance Howard sometimes felt remote doctoring. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised at Noelly’s response. “That doctor got it right. Him listening to country.”
Meanwhile Minister for Health Selena Uibo announced today in a media statement a “state-of-the-art hybrid operating theatre” at Alice Springs Hospital.
Alice and Darwin based business Scope Building NT will construct the $7.9m facility based on “contemporary and innovative technology” and will including a scrub room, control room, store room and plant room, says Ms Uibo.
The theatre will reduce the elective surgery wait times and the number of patients transferred interstate.
The project is set to be completed by the end of the year.
Proceedings in the Supreme Court about the controversial Singleton Station water allocation by the NT Government were all dismissed by Justice Barr this morning.
The unsuccessful plaintiffs were the Alice Springs based environmental organisation, Arid Land Environment Centre (ALEC), and the Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation, representing Aboriginal people in the Singleton region 380 km north of Alice Springs.
The question of costs is reserved in the case whose hearing dates were September 7 to 9, 2022.
The defendants were the NT Minister for the Environment and Fortune Agribusiness Funds Management Pty Ltd.
The company is developing 3,500 hectares for intensive irrigated horticulture with 144 bores, growing produce including mandarins, table grapes, dried grapes, onions and avocados.
A licence permitting extraction of 40,000 ML a year had been granted by the Minister, an unprecedented amount, it is claimed.
ALEC CEO Adrian Tomlinson, asked whether the organisation consisting largely of volunteers would appeal, said this morning they would consult their lawyers and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), which provided advice.
(Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has announced the EDO, operating nation-wide, would be defunded if the Coalition comes to power.)
Mr Tomlinson described the decision as “devastating”.
He said: “Working with people up there, water is life. This is an area with shallow groundwater. This proposal draws the water table down over a 50 kilometre stretch by more than five meters.
“This is a civil court matter, decided on the law rather than the environmental merits, so it’s still a long way to go with that proposal.”
The licence had been allocated with the environmental impact assessment still to happen.
“We had this very perverse situation where the government has issued a licence that is inconsistent in our view with the Water Allocation Plan which has strong protection for the cultural values and groundwater dependent ecosystems.”
Running Water Community Press chairperson Maureen O’Keefe said this morning: “I’m worried what the impact will be. Where will our community go when all the water is gone.
“We’re talking about survival. It’s life-giving water, the most precious thing in the desert.
“It’s about human rights, to live and to survive. We’re just like the third world countries now.
“Communities are buying bottled water to drink. Nobody is talking about that.”
Judge Barr – his judgment runs to 143 pages – had to consider the functions and input from people and sources including the Minister for Environment Water Resources, the Controller of Water Resources, the Review Panel Executive Officer in the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security Water, the Allocation Plan and submissions by Fortune and the plaintiffs.
In one paragraph Judge Barr said: “At the time the Controller made the decision to grant the water extraction licence to Fortune on 8 April 2021, she was not required to consider special circumstances; she was entitled to rely on the opinion of the Minister that there were special circumstances.
“The Minister for Environment had provided her opinion, by endorsement on a ministerial briefing document on 15 February 2021, that there were special circumstances justifying the grant of a water extraction licence for 30 years.
“Those special circumstances were the scale of Fortune’s proposed horticulture project, the level of investment in the project, the time required to develop the project and potential economic benefits for the Northern Territory.”
PHOTO at top: Davenport Range – Singleton Station is in that region.
UPDATE 5.40pm
An ALEC media release said this afternoon that over the 30-year life of the licence more than a trillion litres of water could be extracted, twice the volume of Sydney Harbour.
The “mammoth horticultural project” is currently subject to environmental impact assessment, which means the project is not permitted to commence.
”These are environmental and cultural epicentres. They are the oases of Central Australia. They are key to surviving global heating.
“This proposal still has a long way to go. It has been assessed as needing the highest level of environmental impact assessment, which requires a much higher level of scrutiny. Its devastating impacts have not been approved.
“This appears to be a case of ‘when you win you lose’ for the Northern Territory Government. We urgently need new water laws in the NT.”
UPDATE February 1, 2024, 8am
Les Turner, the CEO of the Central Land Council, which acted for Mpwerempwer, said in a media release yesterday: “We’re considering the judgement carefully and will explain it to the native title holders and remote communities affected by the water licence and seek their instructions.”
He had said earlier: “The water licence decision is unconscionable considering the impacts of climate change on highly vulnerable desert communities.”
Yesterday’s statement says the CLC believes the decision highlights the need for robust and transparent water planning in the NT.
The Northern Territory’s economy has once again been ranked as the worst performer in the nation, 63 months in a row, according to the January 2024 State of the States report of CommSec [a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia].
The Chief Minister and Treasurer Eva Lawler claims diversifying the economy was something her government had “worked hard” to do.
However the economic indicators for the Northern Territory paint a dire picture across various sectors.
Construction work in the September quarter plummeted by a shocking 43.9%, signalling a significant downturn compared to the decade average, compared to SA surging ahead with 23.4% more construction work being done.
Retail spending also declined and the jobless rate in the Northern Territory stands at 4.6%, significantly surpassing the decade average by 7.4%, making it the highest in the country.
The decline in retail spending and the stark contrast between here and the other jurisdictions show that cost of living is having the most severe impact on families here in the Territory.
The burden on Territorians has been made worse by Territory Labor exacerbating the cost of living crisis.
Power prices are hiked by $147 annually, the Solar PV Feed-in-Tariff has been axed, power bills surged by 2.7% last year and the cost of crime is impacting insurance with home and contents 456% higher compared to Adelaide.
The housing market remains weak, with housing finance commitments lagging behind by 3.7% compared to the decade average, and home prices have dropped by 0.1% over the past year.
Eva Lawler’s economic record speaks for itself. This is her report card as Treasurer.
Labor’s recklessness has led to a tripling of government debt, soaring from $2.71 billion to an astronomical $10.1 billion in the 2026-27 forward estimates.
Given these challenges, Lawler’s assertion of better conditions for Territorians doesn’t match.
These numbers show that the Northern Territory is facing tough economic problems. We need clear plans and effective strategies to fix these issues and help Territorians.
The CLP will slash project approval times by 50%, get rid of Labor’s destructive hybrid mining tax and install the Territory Co-ordinator who will ensure projects are fought for, started quickly and completed on time.
Opening up our economy to private investment will increase competition and bring down cost of living.
Bill Yan, Shadow Treasurer (pictured).
PHOTO at top from the CommSec report: Wine state South Australia has climbed to the top spot in the economic performance rankings for the first time in the survey’s history. With SA on top and NT at the bottom, occasional discussion in Alice Springs about The Centre joining its southern neighbour is likely to gain momentum.
A former Country Liberal Party front bencher, Roger “Stainless” Steele, says it’s likely that NT Senator Jacinta Price “could contribute even more to the North of Australia from a seat in the House of Representatives.
“The resignation of Scott Morrison from Federal Parliament offers an excellent opportunity for the Coalition,” he says.
Mr Steele, after working as a drover, camp cook and cattle station manager for 17 years, served as a Member of the NT Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1987, representing Ludmilla until 1983 and Elsey after that.
His ministerial responsibilities included transport, industry and primary production. He is part of a small group of early CLP figures, including Paul Everingham and Shane Stone, continuing to influence national Coalition politics.
Mr Steele says Senator Price’s redeployment “at first sight would seem to be a substantial loss to the NT” but it would enable her to deal with a “significant division in mutual understanding, views, attitudes and priorities” between Australians living in regional areas and those in the cities, particularly the inner cities.
“The rapidly escalating problems associated with social breakdown amongst Aboriginal people in rural and regional Australia” could be tackled by Ms Price, Mr Steele writes in a statement to the Alice Springs News.
Mr Steele (centre) with drovers friends. Note below his response to comments.
“This is an area that is rapidly worsening and the Labor Party has little idea on the policies that should be adopted to overcome this major issue.”
Mr Steele says a movement of Ms Price from the Senate to the “Reps” would be “a wonderful opportunity” for the Coalition to elect another Senator for the NT.
Senator Price did not respond to related questions put to her by the News yesterday.
PHOTO: Mr Steele speaking about his days as a drover at a Buderim Foundation dinner last year.
Alice Springs based NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price may be on her way to the House of Representatives, filling the vacancy left by former Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison or the North Queensland seat of Warren Entsch.
When asked by the Alice Springs News today CLP Senator Price would neither deny nor confirm that moves are under way for her to be preselected for Leichhardt, nor how she would react to such a move.
Senior Coalition figures say “very good National sources” expect Mr Entsch will not re-contest his seat, which has a significant Aboriginal population, in the next Federal election.
Meanwhile, Mr Morrison has vacated the New South Wales seat of Cook where a by-election will be held.
A Coalition source, speaking on the understanding of not being named, has told the News that Ms Price would be well suited to take up Aboriginal policy issues in the House of Representatives.
PHOTO (from left): Former CLP Senator Nigel Scullion, Morrison, Price in April 2019.
Your right to buy a perfectly legal substance – alcohol – may be struck out in a government process taking just a few minutes.
You can swiftly get a Banned Drinker’s Order (BDO) which puts you on the Banned Drinker’s Register (BDR) and when you front up in your favourite bottlo and present your ID – as you’re obliged to – you’ll be shown the door.
Police Minister Brent Potter (pictured), whose office did not respond to our questions, explains how it works, obviously inadvertently.
In a written release on January 19 he announces new “measures to curb alcohol related harm” that include “giving our hardworking Police more powers to place people on the BDR, by providing them with a streamlined process to issue a BDO.”
Streamlining is a clearly an understatement of what is more like performing miracles.
Before the BDR registrar can issue a BDO, the law says, he must make “a determination as to whether a referred person should be placed on the BDR,” explains a NT Health spokesperson.
“Before making a decision, the registrar reviews the outcome of any clinical assessments and all other available evidence.
“They will also attempt to make contact with the referred person.
“In making a decision, the registrar must be satisfied as to the referred person’s identity and that they are misusing or have misused alcohol [and] the misuse of alcohol is a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of the person or any other person (including children and other dependants).”
How much time did the registrar have to perform these comprehensive tasks, required in each and every case?
Not a lot.
According to Mr Potter’s handout, since the new powers were implemented in December “732 individuals have been issued Police BDOs in the last five weeks”. That is three times as many as in December 2022 through January 2023.
For the five weeks (or 25 working days or 200 working hours) that means 3.7 people an hour were slammed with a BDO – one every 16 minutes.
And that is just for the BDR candidates put up by the Police.
It does not count those put up by sources other than the Police including health professionals, child protection workers, social workers, sobering up shelter team leaders, public housing safety officers, Aboriginal health workers, Australian Counselling Association Level 4 counsellors,family members, carers and appointed guardians.
None of that seems to worry Minister Potter, beating his chest: “Measures to reduce alcohol harm are working,” he trumpets, without giving an iota of evidence, such as lower crime rates and hospital admissions.
Mr Potter and his minder gave no response to a string of questions the News put to them on January 22.
Included in the new measures, in part to stop grog running (Police photo), is “the implementation of a legitimate residence clause. This will require people from outside of the Greater Darwin Regional area to demonstrate where they intend to consume alcohol,” says the Minister’s release.
Mr Potter being stumm we asked the media people of the Police in Alice Springs.
The answer: “That is a question for Minister of Alcohol Policy Hon Brent Potter.”
The man looking down from one of Melbourne’s most prominent public buildings was a leader, a fighter for rights and freedom, a businessman, politician, diplomat and artist.
Parrying shield.
At his feet is where Victorians gather to give breath to democracy, with speeches and rallies. On Sunday last week thousands of them assembled and marched in support of Palestinians.
Inside the State Library Victoria the life of Beruk (1824-1903) is celebrated in a small but powerful exhibition about him, his family, his art and objects that he manufactured to make money and to proudly show the world how his people managed their lives.
Alice Springs’ history must be rich with such stories yet nowhere are they on prominent public display. It is the town’s loss – and this is true for much of the country – that the strength and resourcefulness of local Indigenous people at the time of contact and beyond is not better known.
With the Beruk exhibition, created by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, the State Library Victoria is taking a step in the right direction.
Beruk was a Ngurungaeta, a Wurundjerri Head Man, known to settlers as William Barak, “King William, last traditional chief of the Yarra Yarra tribe”.
The exhibition is about a man who didn’t see himself as a victim, but as an equal of the leaders in the non-Indigenous world.
He liaised between the colonial Protectorate and residents of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville, 64 km from today’s Melbourne city.
Beruk is quoted in the displayed text, curated by Stacie Piper and guided by Wurundjeri elders: “A Ngurungaeta is like a Governor andif a man was sensible, spoke straight, and did harm to no one, people would listen to him and obey him.”
Explains the exhibition: “Cultural authority within the Wurundjeri tribe was given to those who earned the respect of their community by way of good character, knowledge, patience, inclusivity, and by elevating the wants and needs of their people above their own.
“Beruk preserved and carried the culture of his people, at times and with certain individuals, even sharing some elements of traditional leadership with non-Indigenous people.”
Wurundjeri people were denied using both their language and cultural practice while living on Coranderrk and mission managers forced Christianity upon all the residents.
“Despite these punitive measures, and the many other injustices against Wurundjeri people at the time, Beruk remained a strong cultural man and never forgot his origins,” says the display.
Beruk with wife Annie and son David.
“Traditionally, the Ngurungaeta position would be inherited by a son from his father, although the son still had to prove his suitability for the role.
“Age was not a defining factor in becoming a Ngurungaeta, instead, a good reputation, charismatic oration, and personal integrity meant that they would be considered worthy of the role and win the support of other leaders.
“Characteristically fair and sensible, while maintaining the respect and obedience of his people, the Ngurungaeta would be a man of great warrior ability, a renowned craftsman of cultural items and maker of songs.”
The exhibition makes it clear that Beruk wasn’t given to complaining. He grabbed opportunities when they presented themselves.
“When Coranderrk became a tourist attraction for newly arrived settlers, Beruk saw his chance to protect and promote the Wurundjeri way of life, inviting visitors and tourists to attend cultural displays.
“In his later years at Coranderrk, Beruk made and sold handcrafted shields, paintings, and other cultural items that were used by the Wurundjeri people.
“He generously explained the use and technique of each object to visitors, says the library display: “The task of creating the objects of everyday life were generally shared between men and women. The women were experts in weaving and crafting adornments, while the men trained in woodworking and tool making.”
The exhibition gives examples Beruk’s self-assurance: He became close to Sir Henry Loch, the Governor of Victoria from 1884. Loch regularly invited Beruk to come to Government House to meet important visitors.
Beruk seized an opportunity by attending a public event in Melbourne honouring Queen Victoria’s birthday. Handcrafted gifts were presented to Prince Albert to pass on to the Queen.
Coranderrk grew in size and population: “The adults adopted farming and the children reading and writing, but they never forgot their Aboriginal identities and connections to their various countries.”
The Aboriginal Protection Act in 1869 gave extraordinary powers to the Board for the Protection of Aborigines, including regulation of residence, employment, marriage and other aspects of daily life.
Beruk continued his diplomacy by walking to Melbourne to meet government officials and eventually it was ordered that Coranderrk be permanently reserved as a site for the use of the Aborigines in 1884.
Recounts the exhibition: “Legislation was again to cause chaos for the residents of Coranderrk.
“The Aboriginal Protection Law Amendment Act passed in 1886 defined what it meant to be Aboriginal. This racist policy conceived the idea of the ‘half-caste’ and decimated the population at Coranderrk – half-castes being excluded from the reserve, cut off from their family members – although some elderly residents refused to leave.
“The Coranderrk Lands Bill was passed in 1948 revoking the remaining land and making it available for soldier resettlement. No Aboriginal people were eligible for the land.”
Beruk’s only son became ill in 1881. Beruk set out on foot and carried David, aged only 10, from Coranderrk to Kew Hospital.
Repots the exhibition: “As an Aboriginal man, Beruk was not permitted to stay by David’s side in the hospital. David died, alone and without family by his side. Beruk’s wife, Annie, died shortly after.”
Beruk’s direct lineage died with David. Beruk “joined his ancestors” in 1903.
Berukisholdingup lyrebirdfeathers. Images State Library Victoria.
Any conversation about the livability of Alice Springs will quickly hit on atrociously priced air fares making personal contact with loved ones interstate a nightmare.
The touchdown of Bonza is bringing significant relief. But why can’t it fly to Sydney?
We (two of us) flew from Melbourne to Alice on Tuesday for $161.86 each. Qantas would have charged about three times that.
Previous budget operator serving The Centre, Tigerair, starting in Australia in 2007, was operating from fairly basic facilities, kind of next door to Tullamarine’s main facilities.
But Bonza uses one of the gates in Melbourne’s main terminal. It has access to DIY luggage drop-off and check-in.
The surprise was the standard of the aircraft, one of the four the fledgeling airline owns, with financial backing from Miami-based private investment firm 777 Partners.
The Boeing 737-8 looked brand new. Legroom was equal to Qantas, in my experience. The entertainment system seemed better.
And you can order your drinks and nibbles on your mobile phone via the Bonza app: No trolleys blocking the way to the dunny. The crew will deliver your choice on a platter, for example, sourdough bites and Cheddar cheese plus 187 ml of Shiraz for $14.
The flight took off within a few minutes of schedule and arrived in Alice about 20 minutes late, perhaps because a couple of small detours around towering cumulonimbus clouds.
An estimated 90% occupancy of the 200-odd seats was a sure sign that Tourism Central Australia – the industry lobby in Alice Springs – was on the right track pushing the NT Government for financially supporting the new airline.
How, much?
We’ve been told that the arrangement with the government is “commercial in confidence” – that irritating excuse for withholding information from the public that is paying for the deal.
According to Minister for Tourism Minster Nicole Manison the amount is part of the $10m Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme “which has seen Bonza enter the market”.
What is keeping Bonza out of Sydney, according to a tourism source in The Centre, is the lack of slots.
Slot management is governed by the Sydney Airport Demand Management Act 1997.
According to the national Transport Department, which is embarking on a review of the issues, slots are designed to “control the scheduled movement times of airlines so that no more than 80 runway movements occur in any hour [as an] essential element of noise sharing and achieving balance between the efficient use of the airport and broader environmental impacts.
“Guaranteed slots for NSW regional services [and] greater access for new entrants” are among the objectives.
What’s also likely to make a big difference is the completion, scheduled for 2026, of the $5.3 billion Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) airport at Badgerys Creek, being built by the Australian Government. Work started in 2018.
[NOTE: The Alice Springs News paid for its flights from Melbourne to Alice.]
PHOTO at top: Passengers boarding at Tullamarine.
UPDATE January 22, 2024: According to theFederal Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, Bonza in December 2023 recorded the highest percentage of cancellations at 19.4%, followed by Skytans at 9%, Virgin Australia at 7.7%, Jetstar at 5.5%, QantasLink at 4.3%, Qantas at 2.7%, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 2.6%. Rex Airlines at 0.6% was the most reliable airline in that assessment category.
NAAJA believes the real story that undermines the justice system in the NT is the mass incarceration of Aboriginal people in over-crowded, hot prisons that contributed to this week’s riot at the Alice Springs prison.
The riot indicates there is an urgent need to divert people from prison with new programs and changes to the bail laws.
Of the 2200 prisoners in the NT justice system, 1900 are Aboriginal people and 40% are on remand and waiting in prison for a trial, or to be sentenced.
The justice system is broken in the NT and the underlying social problems are getting worse … and rehabilitation just isn’t possible in crowded, 40-degree prisons without adequate programs, air-conditioning, or facilities.
Laws and policies in the NT have a discriminatory impact on Aboriginal people and the bail laws need to be changed, to give courts more discretion to grant bail.
Governments need to support people with employment, education, health, and training. It’s an evidence-based approach that reduces re-offending.
It’s very expensive to lock people up and it doesn’t make the community safer, nor does it address the on-going problems of poverty and despair.
NAAJA calls on the NT Government to urgently convene a Justice Reinvestment Summit consider options like Community Courts, return-to-country programs, and family support.
Darryl Pearce, A/CEO North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA)
What the Northern Territory is doing to reduce domestic and family violence isn’t working and 2024 must not, for locals, be just another year of the same.
There are more children in out-of-home care, more injured visiting hospitals and more perpetrators in jail and many on repeat cycle.
Unfortunately for everyone, the numbers just keep going up.
The latest NT Police data show a 23% per cent increase in the Territory in the 12 months to October 31, 13.5% in Alice Springs and 29% in Tennant Creek.
Eighty-one women have been killed by a current or former partner in the Northern Territory since 2000. Seventy-six of them were Aboriginal.
The NT Government was lost in ideology when it ended alcohol restrictions in 2022 and only after pressure from the Albanese Government reinstated them and it is the NT that is advising where, how and when the money from the Commonwealth is spent.
The statistics have not yet returned to what they were then – let alone improved with the unprecedented increase in funding for community safety and domestic and family violence.
That is why the Federal Coalition will continue to push for an enquiry into how decisions are made so that funding ends for programs not delivering maximum outcomes and which are not evidence based, peer reviewed or where governance is questionable.
Senator Nampijinpa Price and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last April stood at the foot of Anzac Hill seeking a Royal Commission to understand the extent and a way forward for addressing Indigenous child sexual abuse in the NT.
There is still no answer and outcomes are not improving.
And on December 14 last year, I wrote to the NT Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Kate Worden for an update on the Territory’s employment of the 20 frontline service workers that were promised for the sector by the Albanese Government in October 2022 – but I’m yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, the challenge is for organisations, businesses, sports codes, individuals and communities to commit to zero tolerance of violence in all its forms and send that message loud and clear.
I say mandate criminal history checks and stop board members, elected officials and those in leadership roles with recent or current police charges or convictions from standing as role models at the heads of these organisations.
More money is not needed to put an advert in every organisation’s newsletter, messages on every toilet door and in every workplace about how to seek help nor to make a statement of commitment at the start of every event. These actions should be routine.
For every day an audit is not a priority for funding for services for the most vulnerable in the area of domestic and family with its devastating human, social and economic toll then more cases go unreported, more offenders go unpunished and more victims will not get the very best of help they so desperately need.
The Northern Territory must not be heading to 2025 in the same way it clocked over to 2024.
“Visitors are welcome to our gallery where you can purchase paintings and learn more about the history of Papunya and its artists.”
This message is on the Papunya Tjupi website and Yuendumu’s Warlukurlangu Artists have a similar one.
Meanwhile the plodding preparations continue for the bombastically named National Aboriginal Arts Gallery (NAAG) in Alice Springs. The independent art centres’ invitations would suggest that a diverse gallery, in several locations, may be a better way of celebrating Indigenous creativity.
The News asked Arts Minister Chansey Paech: Would a gallery divided into a variety of locations be considered? In that form it would benefit the creators of the art and their communities, keep tourists in the region far longer and offer them an experience much more profound than just ambling through a museum.
To take advantage of that would mean dumping the ghastly building planned on a bitterly contested site, and investing public money in the vast region where art is the only activity not fully dependent on welfare.
The multiple gallery components could be spread throughout The Centre where the authenticity of the movement is at its peak and closest to its origins: The languages, the Dreamtime are more likely to be reaching back in time much further and in greater detail than anywhere else. The News put this to the Minister.
Mr Paech, an Aboriginal person born and bred in The Centre, did not share any thoughts he may have about this notion. He rejected out of hand any change on the gallery’s make-up: “It will be located at the selected site at the base of Anzac Hill. There is no consideration of multiple locations.”
It seems the government wants to have cranes poking into the sky in time for the election in August this year: “During the coming months the NAAG will achieve a 50% design milestone. The construction contract will be released; and a senior curator will be announced,” says Mr Paech.
The industry lobby Tourism Central Australia supports the NAAG project in its current form and location.
For anyone interested in looking at Aboriginal artworks the NAAG is likely to be well down the list.
Four of Australia’s galleries in capital cities have a total of 15,000 Indigenous artworks.
But what the big galleries do not have are the live artists, many of them now world famous. The Centre has them, as well as the country that inspires them – major assets.
We put this to Mr Paech but he provided no comment.
A snapshot of Papunya, 247 km west of Alice Springs: Population 514. Median total family weekly income $519 (compared to $2213 for Northern Territory). Unemployment 10.5% (5.6%). Labour force participation 30% (61.7%).
There are a dozen similar locations in The Centre where poverty is side by side with burgeoning art based on millennia of culture.
They get no mention in the online Arts Trail spin, “a $100m investment into building a unique and culturally significant [trail] the length and breadth of the Northern Territory [whose] centrepiece will be” – you guessed it – the NAAG in Alice Springs.
Mr Paech: “It is an investment in cultural assets across the Northern Territory towards positioning Alice Springs as the nation’s artistic heartland, and the NT as a world-class tourist and cultural destination.”
Warlugulong, 1976, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Art Gallery of NSW.
According to the government’s website the Art Trail’s other “key transformational projects” are the National Aboriginal Cultural Centre which “will be”a dynamic and living centre; the Alcoota Megafauna Exhibition (Art? Click it and you get “page not found”); as well as the Art Gallery at State Square in Darwin and a 10-Year Museums Master Plan for Darwin and Palmerston.
The Top End, as usual is doing very well. No comment available on that from Mr Paech.
Meanwhile the nation takes pride in its native brilliance: The Art Gallery of SA has 2000 items; the Art Gallery of NSW 2188; the National Gallery in Canberra 7500 and Brisbane’s QAGOMA 2940.
About 10% of them are on display at any given time.
The South Australian Museum has one of the largest collections of Aboriginal artefacts in the world. It holds up to 60,000 items which are stored in sheds which leak in heavy rain, according to the project’s government-commissioned 2019 strategic business case by Ernst & Young (E&Y).
In the new spectacular extension to the Art Gallery of NSW visitors find Aboriginal art in the first rooms you get to.
There is currently a major exhibition in the Australian National Gallery of works by Utopia artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, donated by Central Australian pastoralists Donald and Janet Holt. Ms Holt was an early manager of the Papunya art movement.
On the right-hand wall of the entry lobby to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney’s Quay, opposite the Opera House, is a giant mural (photo at top) by Alice Springs artist Vincent Namatjira, celebrating the memory of his grandfather.
NAAG won’t own many artworks because it will be a “non–collecting” institution: “It would not amass a permanent collection for display, but will instead draw from the collections of other galleries and museums (and private collections) to display temporary exhibitions which would be changed periodically.”
That would put Alice Springs on the same footing as metropolitan and regional centres on the circuit of travelling exhibitions: Not a bad thing, but a long shot from being a unique national institution. No comment on that either from Mr Paech.
The decentralised art movement has since the 1970s demonstrated its commercial viability, a network of independent organisations owned by Aborigines and usually managed by white employees.
Warlukurlangu, for example, has 800 artists on its books and sells world-wide. Some get government money but there are a handful of art centres that do not rely on public funding.
Current NAAG plans are for spending $150m (official) or $180m (more likely) for a facility attracting tourists to a single place for as little as an hour or two.
A decentralised gallery would lure them to a vast area for days if not weeks and offer not just a stroll through an exhibition but contact with people and their culture in land of exceptional beauty.
It wouldn’t take much: A handful of three-star wilderness lodges, a pub or two, privately owned, decent roads.
The seeds are there: Aborigines run the Standley Chasm park and kiosk. Bobby Abbott and partner Mary Tupou provide excellent facilities at Ormiston Gorge and have ambitious plans.
However, there will be difficulties. For example, there is a small visitors’ accommodation facility in a major community which – according to a local – is usually closed because no-one can be found to clean it.
The economic benefits of a decentralised gallery would go to regions and people who have subsisted on government handouts for generations. However, it is not certain they would take advantage of the opportunities.
Massive unemployment notwithstanding, the NT Government sees itself compelled to mandate Indigenous employment by companies awarded government contracts.
The Alice Springs Newsreported recently that we could not get a straight answer from the NT Government about requirements for Aborigines to work on publicly funded construction projects.
Independent MLA for Araluen, Robyn Lambley, responding to a request from the News, is now seeking an explanation of policies.
Under the current E&Y business model, all that’s needed to tick the Alice gallery off on your bucket list is an hour or two, comfortably fitting into the time slot the Ghan stops in The Alice on its way between Adelaide and Darwin.
There is big money slipping through Alice’s fingers. Example: Arnhem Land Adventure, 16 days, from $16,000 per person. The train can carry about 300 passengers.
Depending on the season, you can have an “afternoon experience” in The Alice, arriving in the Ghan on Mondays or Thursdays at 1.45pm and leaving at 6.15pm.
Or there is a “morning experience” arriving on Thursdays at 9.10am and you’re off again at 12.45pm.
An “outback experience” can be crammed into those time slots by visiting the Desert Park.
“The vast majority of guests complete the journey without an Alice Springs stay,” says a spokeswoman for the Ghan.
Emily Kam Ngwarray became, in the final decade of her life, perhaps the most celebrated and sought after Australian artist of her time.
A leading figure in eastern Anmatyerr ceremony, Ngwarray was also the artist in whose work many white Australians first felt the force of an Indigenous art that could be seen to negotiate a space both within the aesthetics of Western abstraction and the timeless precepts of Aboriginal cultural traditions.
Emily Kam Ngwarray, Untitled (Alhalker), 1992.
E&Y seems to be aware that plonking a gallery where a significant number of Arrenrte people don’t want it to be is not the only solution to the apparent need for a “national” gallery.
“An options analysis would normally explore non-infrastructure options that might address the central problem or the ‘Case for Change’ that the project is seeking to address,” says E&Y in its report commissioned by the NT Government in 2019.
“For example, increasing home and community health care delivery might be considered as an alternative option to building a new hospital.
“However, the central tenant [SIC – that word should clearly be tenet] of the ‘Case for Change’ for this project is the need to address the absence of a national institution dedicated to the celebration of the art and culture of Australia’s first people.
“Addressing this absence is unlikely to be met by non-infrastructure policies and programs but requires a physical location.”
Many would say that a “central tenet” should really be to establish whether or not there is a “case for change”.
The central tenet that E&Y clearly was handed from the government was to find reasons for building a gallery in Alice Springs.
That leads to a fundamental question: The 80 page E&Y report – still current – hardly at all touches on the traditional, religious and political implications embraced by the multitude of Aboriginal nations. These matters are now front and centre in the debate.
For example, for millennia people walking through The Gap without permission paid for it with their lives.
Senior custodians want the gallery – if anywhere at all – to be south of The Gap.
Anzac Hill is a women’s sacred site.
The report, in its early pages, includes a map (pictured) of the dozens of Aboriginal nations across the continent. Who gets the say which images, stories, songs and secrets from elsewhere can be taken to Arrernte country and displayed in the gallery? And vice-versa?
Talking about someone else’s country can be a mortal offence. Who’s going to be doing the talking?
Mr Paech did not respond to this question notwithstanding that it is fundamental to Aboriginal law.
Observers may be excused for suspecting that the “they’re all looking the same to me” syndrome is at work here.
Mr Paech did not agree to a request for an interview about issues not dealt with in the written replies supplied by a minder.
The Minister resorts to his government’s bland hype when dealing with the public: “The nation’s artistic heartland … architectural excellence … world-class facility … iconic monument representing empowerment and self-determination” and so on.
Is there an update to the E&Y report? No answer from the Minister.
News: Is there a profit and loss projection for NAAG (at right) and if so, please provide a copy.
Paech: “The commercialisation strategy and operating model will be finalised this year.”
As we previously reported here are some important things the report does not do. It says so itself: “Ernst & Young … has considered only the interests of the Northern Territory Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture.
“In the year 2025, the third full year of operations, the Gallery could attract an additional 53,000 visitors a year (our Italics.)
“This would bring the total visitation with a Gallery to 502,000. The Gallery is projected to have approximately 206,000 attendees in 2025.
The report is not an independent analysis: During operation, the employment of 55 full time equivalent staff could potentially increase output by $13.7m to the local economy; create 14 additional indirect jobs; result in $7.2m contribution to the local economy’s Gross Regional Product.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
By ERWIN CHLANDA
The complex proposed for the centre’s outdoor carpark, the site of the former Pizza Hut, would be no taller than the Supreme Court building.
Asked what helps keep a family business going from one generation to the next, Mr Nelson says: “I suppose it was mainly our upbringing as kids. There were four of us boys, and we were a pretty tight-knit family.
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer to Mr Rolfe: “Did it accurately reflect your attitude to a substantial number of the female police you were dealing with?”
Noting that these were all civil engineering works the phrase “jobs for the boys” did cross my mind, but I dismissed it immediately. No-one in their right mind would be so blatant, would they?
By ERWIN CHLANDA
By ERWIN CHLANDA
The proposed car parks are illustrated in very small images in Jensen’s report, up for public comment until March 22, possibly because of their outstanding ugliness that would become a feature smack bang in the middle of the town, competing with that other monstrosity, as the Supreme Court building is frequently described.
Yet figures such as PAC are used by the government and some NGOs to justify the restrictions, a strategy that lacks credibility if the statistics are incomplete.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
To complicate the story, a different German-led team demonstrated the circles in Namibian and Angola are from termites not plant self-organisation. In the Namibian case, they say it is sand termites who eat roots. Whereas, in Australia, the circles are occupied by harvester termites who eat dead grass. 
“This debate continues today. Just last month the German-Israeli-Australian team critiqued our findings so Nature invited us to write an article of reply.” 
They revealed the galleries and chambers and chaff stores and living areas that tunnel the subterranean structure.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
But Bill Yan (pictured), M
By ERWIN CHLANDA
He said: “Working with people up there, water is life. This is an area with shallow groundwater. This proposal draws the water table down over a 50 kilometre stretch by more than five meters. 
“The rapidly escalating problems associated with social breakdown amongst Aboriginal people in rural and regional Australia” could be tackled by Ms Price, Mr Steele writes in a statement to the Alice Springs News.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
By ERWIN CHLANDA
“Despite these punitive measures, and the many other injustices against Wurundjeri people at the time, Beruk remained a strong cultural man and never forgot his origins,” says the display.
And you can order your drinks and nibbles on your mobile phone via the Bonza app: No trolleys blocking the way to the dunny. The crew will deliver your choice on a platter, for example, sourdough bites and Cheddar cheese plus 187 ml of Shiraz for $14.
Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme “which has seen Bonza enter the market”.
Is there an update to the E&Y report? No answer from the Minister.