Submission to the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) Review
As a resident of a remote community in the Northern Territory for the past five years I am submitting the following reflections regarding the NTER. To place these comments in context it is important to have some information about the community which has a resident population of approximately 300 Indigenous people and 20 non-Indigenous. It is 750 km by road from the nearest town, Alice Springs. The most important services in the community are the community council offices which provided governance and income distribution and local store which provides necessities for daily living. Secondary to these services are the clinic, school, college, youth activities, church and aged care facilities.
Due to its distance from Alice Springs this community has had limited exposure to non-indigenous culture. Community houses were built in the late 1960’s and services now available started to be established. In the course of three generations great expectations have been put upon people to change their lifestyle.
The community had, prior to the NTER, enjoyed the benefit of long term stable staff in several key positions including the CEO, council office administration, council maintenance staff, shop managers, clinic nurse, youth worker and primary school teachers. These same staff acted as role models and mentors to the community. These staff were trusted and respected by Indigenous community members and together the community had made great advances in community governance and management. However it must be acknowledged that without knowing the community over the longer time frame, these advances are not obvious to the casual visitor.
When the NTER was announced and first commenced many long time staff in remote communities looked forward with feelings of optimism and hope. It felt as if people had been battling the odds in isolation for so long the offer of assistance and funding was seen as having so much potential to make a difference for the long term. NTER staff was welcomed to communities by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members. Unfortunately over the twelve month’s disillusionment has set in and now the NTER is seen by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members as just another trial to bear. I hope to show why this is with the following reflections.