Skip to content

FaHCSIA home

Kerry Heysen-Hicks

I wish to make a submission to NTER.

  1. Housing- Housing to be provided as it was to economically disadvantaged white Australians through the excellent SA Housing trust scheme
  2. Training – The training  to fill shortages in the Australian work force that we are about to offer to Fijians and Timorese to be first offered to Aboriginal people
  3. Health – That the loadings for health workers be fair but not to account for the majority of the funding of the scheme
  4. Reporting and follow through on the sexual abuse offenders – that sex offenders be charged
  5. Land rights to be reinstated
  6. Voucher system to be changed
  7. Education be provided by Federal and State governments to fulfil their charter to educate Australian children in areas that are accessible to children
  8. Transport to be provided as it is for country children to attend area schools.

We have seen that a welfare system does not work, but unless it is replaced  with an effective substitute we cannot take it away and leave the people with nothing.

At the moment the intervention  punishes the effective families by not recognising their abilities, and  rewards a small amount of retail outlets and taxi companies.
This new method of welfare  - the voucher system – has resulted in a large amount of money being  spent on taxi fares to receive the vouchers, limited and prescriptive places for spending them and is not an economically efficient method.
We are able to differentiate in the white community between people who are able to handle the monies that they receive from the state and those who can't. Surely we can in the areas that are covered by the Intervention Order.

We all realise that people need the basics to survive  shelter, food, clean water, clothing and education and training.

Training
We are about to make a change to our visa laws to enable people from Timor, Fiji to come to our country to learn skills and be part of the work force.
Why can't we first look to our own people and have them be in this position, where we choose them to be the ones to be trained to fulfil the gaps that we have in the workforce.

Housing/Training
Before people can ensure health and safety for their children they need housing.
The need for housing can be used as a training programme for local people to be involved in these schemes to enable not only for them to have building skills learned but also maintenance skills
Basic necessity  in the housing – Water tanks so that there is access to clean water.

Health
I am pleased that children are given health checks and efforts are being made to ensure that sexual abuse concerns are taken seriously.
However for this to be rectified on a permanent basis housing  and it's ongoing maintenance would need to be provided  so that children can be safe and well cared for.
Living in a home that is not overcrowded, has the facilities for them to be able to keep clean and healthy, and have a quiet area where they can be safe.

It is the obligation of the government to provide schooling nearby for white children in our community and Aboriginal children deserve that right as we
They need to be able to see a path from School to Tafe/training schemes or University.

I want the monies to be spent on the people themselves.
I understand that the majority of the money is spent on special loadings for health workers and police to work in the area.

I have never understood why the land rights provision was suspended under this order and want it to be reinstated.

Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission

Kerry Heysen-Hicks