WGAR News: Budget 2015: Concerns raised over federal plans to hand funding of Indigenous outstations to NT, in deal similar to WA: Alyssa Betts, ABC News

Newsletter date: 15 May 2015

Contents:

* Audio: Justin Fenwick, The Wire: Indigenous funding masks another agenda [Featuring Senator Nova Peris & Paddy Gibson]

* News Analysis: Steven Schubert, ABC News: 'Dysfunctional' NT Government must not run Indigenous outstations, Northern Land Council and Central Land Council say

* News Analysis: Shalailah Medhora, The Guardian: Remote Indigenous communities could close if NT government takes full control

* News: NITV News: Fears of community closures spreading to NT after budget handout

* News: Alyssa Betts, ABC News: Budget 2015: Concerns raised over federal plans to hand funding of Indigenous outstations to NT, in deal similar to WA

* Audio Interview: Mikaela Simpson, CAAMA Radio: Aboriginal Communities Left Out In The Cold Following Budget Announcement... [Featuring Shayne Neumann]

* Video: Robert Burton-Bradley, NITV News: Indigenous activist accuses government of 'racist budget' [Featuring Michael Mansell]

* Petition: Change.org: Restore IAS funding that SA Aboriginal communities need to stay open and sustainable

* WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA (and NT?)
* WGAR Background: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the Federal Budget

* Background: Diet Simon, Linksunten Indymedia: Aborigines expect more misery from new national budget: https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/143176
* Background: Diet Simon, Linksunten Indymedia: Australian government budget leaves indigenous affairs in a "trauma zone": https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/143238

WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

- Audio

The Wire: Indigenous funding masks another agenda
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=12722
http://www.thewire.org.au/audio/Budget%20indigenous.mp3
13 May 15: "Money in the budget for indigenous housing and job creation appears to be reasonably good news for Aboriginal Australia. However through the grants payments to states for remote housing the Federal Government is ending its responsibility for such services, something likely to lead to the states moving people off country." Produced by Justin Fenwick
Featured in Story:
* Senator Nova Peris
* Paddy Gibson, researcher, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS

- News Analysis

ABC News: 'Dysfunctional' NT Government must not run Indigenous outstations, Northern Land Council and Central Land Council say
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-14/nlc-clc-label-nt-government-dysfun...
14 May 15: "Two of Australia's most powerful Indigenous land councils have labelled the NT Government "dysfunctional and welfare dependent" and "a failed state that is almost totally dependent on the Commonwealth" as they rejected an idea for the NT to take responsibility for Indigenous outstation services. ... But the Northern Land Council (NLC) and Central Land Council (CLC) have said the NT Government would not be able to adequately run the services and would result in community closures like those planned in Western Australia." By Steven Schubert

- News Analysis

The Guardian: Remote Indigenous communities could close if NT government takes full control
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/13/remote-indigenous-...
13 May 15: "Indigenous groups are warning remote Northern Territory communities could close after the commonwealth offered a one-off payment to cede control of them. Approximately $154.8m was allotted in Tuesday’s federal budget to the NT government to "take on full responsibility for delivering municipal and essential services in remote Indigenous communities". ... "[This] has caused incredible trauma and distress and anxiety in remote communities in [WA]. We would be very disappointed if there was a repeat of that unfortunate exercise in any other state or territory," said Kirstie Parker, ... " Shalailah Medhora, a reporter for Guardian Australia

- News

SBS News: Fears of community closures spreading to NT after budget handout
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/05/13/fears-community-closures-s...
13 May 15: "There are fears more remote communities will be closed, this time in the Northern Territory, after the Federal Government handed $155 million to the NT Government in last night's budget for services to remote communities. ... The NT Government has not yet indicated if it will agree to the offer, but already Labor NT Senator Nova Peris has said the deal looks like that offered the West Australian Government last year. ... " By NITV News; Source: NITV News

- News

ABC News: Budget 2015: Concerns raised over federal plans to hand funding of Indigenous outstations to NT, in deal similar to WA
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-13/budget--nt-handed-funding-control-...
13 May 15: "The Federal Government looks to be headed for a fight over its plans to make the NT Government take responsibility for servicing tiny remote Indigenous communities. ... The NT Government is unsure whether it will accept the deal, while the Opposition warns it could lead to a complete defunding of outstations and homelands, as is set to happen in parts of Western Australia. Territory Labor senator Nova Peris said it was the same kind of deal brokered with WA. ... " By Alyssa Betts

- Audio Interview

CAAMA Radio: Aboriginal Communities Left Out In The Cold Following Budget Announcement...
http://caama.com.au/aboriginal-communities-left-out-in-the-cold-followin...
14 May 15: " ... The Federal budget includes a one payment to Northern Territory Government to take full responsibility for delivering municipal and essential services in remote communities. More than $145m will be cut from Indigenous services and throughout 2015-16, including $46m from Indigenous health. The Hon Shayne Neumann MP, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs joined Mikaela Simpson on the program to share his concerns following the Abbott budget announcement."

- Video

SBS News: Indigenous activist accuses government of 'racist budget' [Featuring Michael Mansell]
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/05/13/indigenous-activist-accuse...
13 May 15: "A prominent Indigenous rights campaigner has accused the Federal and Western Australian Governments of racism over community closures while they bail out drought afflicted farms." By Robert Burton-Bradley; Source: NITV News
"You've got two groups of people in the country, both live in the rural environment, both prefer to stay there which means that is their personal choice. Abbott comes out and says one group, the farmers, will get Federal Government assistance of up to $300 million dollars, but the other group, Aboriginal people, will get absolutely nothing." Tasmanian Palawa activist Michael Mansell

- Petition

Change.org: Petition: Senator Nigel Scullion Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Restore IAS funding that SA Aboriginal communities need to stay open and sustainable
Michele Madigan Australia
https://www.change.org/p/mr-nigel-scullion-minister-for-indigenous-affai...
"How can SA Aboriginal Communities remain open with 90% slashed off the required funding? This is the question that needs asking of the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion who has repeatedly said of late that he ‘has no intention of closing Aboriginal Communities.’ No organisation, no small business and certainly no Community can stay open when it loses most of its income. SA Aboriginal Communities have been successfully running essential and effective programs for years providing opportunities for training, support, activities for children and youth, employment for local people, and many other types of community programs designed and run for the Communities by the Communities. With no funds for programs and administration /governance, how can Communities remain open? ... Please sign and share this petition to restore funding directly to SA Aboriginal Communities."

- Background

WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA (and NT?)
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/08/background-plans-to-close-aboriginal...
(last updated: 11 May 2015)

WGAR Background: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the Federal Budget
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/24/wgar-background-aboriginal-peoples-a...
(last updated: 13 May 2015)

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)