The Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory has urged the Commonwealth and Territory governments to honour their commitments made in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and set up formal arrangements with Aboriginal representatives in Alice Springs and across the Territory to negotiate a way forward on alcohol management and other services needed in NT communities.
On Wednesday APO NT said the measures proposed in Senator Jacinta Price's private members bill "do nothing more than what has already been agreed to be implemented by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister".
Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner, an APO NT spokesperson, said the time has come to put "the intervention era" to an end.
"We need to move past politicians in Canberra and Darwin making decisions for our communities alone. Senator Price's proposed private members bill is just another example of politicians coming in over the top of our people. We are fed up with it, we have had enough of the political posturing and we have seen time and time again that it doesn't work for our communities," Mr Turner said.
"The recent commitment to provide resources in response to the crisis in Alice Springs is welcome as a necessary step to acknowledge that more investment is needed in our Northern Territory communities."
North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency acting chief executive and APO NT spokesperson Dr John Paterson said the organisation supports urgent investment in Alice Springs, but also calls for urgent investment across the Northern Territory.
"The National Partnership on Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment is coming to an end and now is the time to build a new approach for future investment, based on a formal partnership between governments, APO NT and Northern Territory communities, and in line with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap," he said.
The Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory is a formal alliance comprising the Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), Central Land Council (CLC), Northern Land Council (NLC), Tiwi Land Council (TLC), Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC), Aboriginal Housing NT (AHNT) and the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NT IBN).
The alliance was formed to provide a more effective response to key issues of joint interest and concern affecting Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, including working in genuine partnership with governments to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal Territorians.
