4. Examples of Intervention Over-kill
Whilst there are many examples of the failure of NTER to coordinate its responses effectively in program areas such as housing and health (which has confused people) there are some glaring examples of over-kill which should be noted for reasons such as costs, effectiveness and the powerful effects of disempowerment and negativity this type of intervention must create among people about their capacity to manage their own affairs.
Disempowerment has far more insidious and long-term effects for Indigenous communities than the shock and disbelief caused by the initial intervention and the inappropriate and insensitive way in which this was sometimes conducted.
In one example that I am aware of a number of women were conducting a ceremony with young initiates when the housing survey team arrived. They asked for several hours in which to move out to another location before their house was surveyed. This was refused and a strange compromise was reached whereby the survey team surveyed one end of the house while the women remained in the other end. When that part of the house was completed the women moved to the end that had been surveyed so the rest of the survey could be undertaken.
The women will recover; it was just part and parcel of how things were happening on some communities. I am less confident however whole communities can recover from the impact of long term over-intervention where there appears no need for such an intrusion.
- Policing Issues
- Bulman Community and Outstations.
This community in South East Arnhem Land is about 400 km from Katherine. It is a small, isolated community which acts as the regional centre for several other outstations. These communities all started as “outstations” many years ago largely by families returning to their own country from communities such as Barunga and Beswick where they had been relocated years previously. These communities were largely self-managing and more recently have come under the umbrella of the Nyirranggulung Regional Council. Community safety was undertaken by local Elders and a community night patrol. The communities comprises of,
Bulman 30 houses
Weemoll 12 ' '
Barapunta 4 ' '
Mt Catt 4 ' '
Total 50 houses
The Intervention has seen the establishment, in the middle of the community, of a fully compounded Police Station and accommodation (chain mesh, topped with barbed wire) and a policing establishment of two Interstate police officers and one Northern Territory police officer. A Police cell block is soon to be constructed. There is also an incongruous situation of flood light security lighting around the complex which lights the place and surrounding areas up like a Christmas tree.
Next door the Australian Government has established an enclosed office and accommodation block which is staffed by a Government Business Manager and a Community Employment Solution Broker.
Local wits have already named the complex the Stalag Bulman.
The costs of establishing and maintaining this infrastructure can be estimated,
Police station and accommodation, $600, 000 plus
3 x sergeants salary + allowances $300, 000
2 x four wheel drives (outfitted with cages) $120, 000
Boat and boat shed $ 40, 000
Police cells $800, 000 ?
Incidentals such as fuel and communication systems $ 30, 000
Government Business Manager Complex $500, 000 ?
Business Manager Salary $140, 000
Solution Broker salary $110, 000
2 x four wheel drives $100, 000
Incidentals, fuel and home air travel etc, $ 50, 000
There are other hidden costs as well. The week I was at Bulman the solution broker had arranged for a hair dresser to spend a week at Bulman conducting hair dressing clinics. She was probably engaged on a consultancy basis which is $1,000 a day. Two weeks later it had been arranged for a chef to visit for a week from Katherine to conduct cooking classes.
These estimates may be conservative. The cost of building a basic 3 bedroom house in this area is around $450,000. It is also known that building contractors working on the Nyirranggulung communities are charging the Australian Government $145 an hour for trades-people.
Whilst these figures are indicative they run into many millions of dollars and it must be asked if there is a more affective way of providing policing and administrative services to 50 houses.
There are other questions that must be asked. Logic and my understanding of the histories, demography and geography of the communities would indicate there are not sufficient training and employment opportunities to warrant this expenditure or the solution broker’s salary. Similarly, one would question the need for a Government Business Manager when there is already a Community Manager employed by the Nyirranggulung Regional Council for ensuing service provision.
- Yarralin Community.
The Yarralin Community in the Victoria River District comprises of 28 houses and a further 18 at Pigeon Hole about 40 km away. The exact same circumstances apply. The police complex and Government Business Managers and Solution Brokers complex are identical to the ones established at Bulman.
- Peppiminartie.
Peppimanartie is an isolated community of 35 houses and now has the same policing and government administration complexes as described above.
- Minjilang
As above. (44 houses).
- Warrawiu
As above (64 houses)
Residents of these communities were unable to identify law and order or social problems they had been unable to resolve themselves with the aid of local night patrols. Certainly vandalism, property damage and anti-social behaviour was very low in these communities.
I refer here to complexes on small communities I have visited recently however many more are likely to exist.
- Community Surveys and Cleanups.
The initial work following community surveys appeared ad-hoc and without purpose. For example on a number of communities including Oenpellie and Ngukurr non-Indigenous contractors were brought in to fence community rubbish dumps. No local labour was used and local CDEP teams and council work force were unaware contracts had been let for the work. Both communities have a long involvement in the Pastoral Industry and there are many ex fencers who could have undertaken these jobs.
The Council Clerk at Oenpellie questioned the prioritising of fencing the rubbish dump. Council had other priorities they would have preferred to see addressed.
- Plumbing Issues.
At Minjilang the Intervention team replaced all the old house tap and sink fittings with new fittings. They were 18mil fittings instead of the standard 15 mil fittings the community used. Hoses and washing machine appliances could no longer be used. The local plumber had to buy in the right size fittings for 46 houses so appliances could be reconnected.
- Painting
Painting teams were operating on all the communities in the Katherine region.
There were many Interstate painters in the workforce. They were moving through
communities painting the outsides of all the community houses. This appeared
a low priority given the ludicrous situation of local Indigenous housing organisations
being inadequately funded to maintain and manage the housing stock. Hopefully
stage two (community fix) will address more fundamental repair and maintenance
and poor design and construction affecting the houses. No one is clear when
this will occur.