Call for Support: Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney

20.7.09

Image by pierre pouliquin via Flickr

Stop the Blackmail. Keep Aboriginal Housing in Aboriginal Hands.

We, concerned citizens, call on the Federal Indigenous Affairs
Minister, Jenny Macklin, to immediately end moves to compulsorily
acquire the Alice Springs Town Camps, represented by Tangentyere
Council. Tangentyere Council is a democratic organization that has
been the only service provider to the Town Camps since their
inception. It continues to transport water to people forgotten by
governments. It also provides 150 meaningful jobs for Aboriginal
people.

For decades Tangentyere has called upon governments to address
overcrowding and poverty in their communities. But their demands have
been ignored. Tangentyere has rejected the blackmail that will make
housing conditional upon Aboriginal communities signing leases that
will relinquish control to the government. We call on the Commonwealth
to immediately release funds for desperately needed housing.

In May 2007, Macklin criticized the Howard Government’s attempt to
impose a 99 year lease on Tangentyere: “No other group of Australians
would have their property rights treated this way … we do not want
land tenure reform being made a condition of funding for basic
services.”
We agree that infrastructure and services for Aboriginal people should
not depend upon the surrender of fundamental rights.

We recognize the right of town camp residents to self-determination.
We also endorse the Productivity Commission’s recent call for an end
to 'top-down' directives from government and for the empowerment of
Aboriginal communities. Closing the gap will not be achieved in any
other way.

The use of coercive powers established under the Intervention
threatens the existence of one of the most successful Aboriginal
organisations in the country and sets a dangerous precedent for
undermining all Aboriginal community initiatives. Such discriminatory
action would be unlawful without the suspension of the Racial
Discrimination Act – an action condemned by the Human Rights
Commissioner and international human rights bodies. We have no
confidence in the Intervention. It has not delivered a house to a
single Aboriginal family.

We stand behind Tangentyere Council’s refusal to capitulate in the
face of racial discrimination.

All Australians will be diminished if the compulsory acquisition proceeds.

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Please email your endorsement to defendthetowncamps@gmail.com or phone
Marlene Hodder from the Intervention Rollback Action Group (Alice
Springs) on 0438816851 or Nicole Watson from the Stop the Intervention
Collective (Sydney) on 02 95149711


Please forward your donation to: Intervention Rollback Action Group
PO Box 8488
Alice Springs
NT 0871

Or by direct deposit to: Bendigo Community Bank
A/c Name: Intervention Rollback Action Gr.
BSB No: 633-000
A/c No: 134 157 049

Please send a notice to defendthetowncamps@gmail.com when you have
made a donation.

The cost of the public notice is expected to be around $15,000.

Background information on the proposed takeover is available from the
website rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com , together with the
Statement of Support.

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Labels: Alice Springs Northern Territory, Australia, Human rights, Indigenous People, Jenny Macklin, John Howard, Racism