Traditional Owners, Njanjma Rangers, and the Northern Land Council headed out to Cahill's Crossing last week for a permit blitz – checking vehicle drivers and passengers had the required permission before entering Aboriginal Land.
The permit compliance check came as the result of NLC Council Members raising concerns of visitors entering Aboriginal Land without the right permits at recent meetings.
With Cahills Crossing a gateway into Aboriginal Land, Traditional Owners, the NLC Permits and Compliance Teams (PACT), and Rangers created a temporary checkpoint station. This ran over Thursday, October 11 to Friday, October 12, to ensure the public had the correct documentation to continue past the crossing.
Australian law requires visitors to have a written permit to enter Aboriginal Land - for work, travel, or recreation purposes. The NLC is responsible for processing permits in the Top End through consultation with Traditional Owners. This system upholds the rights and privacy of Aboriginal communities as well as promoting visitor safety.
Traditional Owner and Njanjma Aboriginal Corporation General Manager Grant Nayinggul said he believes most people want to do the right thing.
"Visitors need to be educated about when they need a permit and why it's so important to us Traditional Owners that they have one," he said.
"This is about respect. Traditional Owners are responsible for the people on our Country and if we don't know who is visiting and what they're doing, that's not a good thing."
"I'm looking forward to running more of these permit checks at Cahills Crossing and in other regions."
NT Police are responsible for the enforcement and prosecution of persons entering Aboriginal land without a permit across the NLC's seven regions. Traditional Owners can also ask visitors for proof of permit while on their land. Those who are found without the correct documentation can be refused entry and may also face penalties for their breach.
Traditional Owners and the NLC PACT are keen to work alongside NT Police to ensure this process is upheld, improved and expanded. The Land Council is currently advocating amendments to the NT Aboriginal Land Act 1978, through the Aboriginal Land Unlawful Access and Compliance Working Group, with NTG.
The recent permit blitz marks the start of a broader campaign to increase public awareness of what the NLC Permit system is, why its important visitors have written permission before they travel, and how to obtain one via the website.
Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan reminded the public: "If you're planning on entering Aboriginal Land, you need to have a permit – it's as simple as that"
"Asking the right people for permission is about respecting Traditional Owners, and it's about respecting the Country you're on," he said.
"It's really important everyone works together to uphold our permit system – from the NLC PACT to the Traditional Owners and the NT Police. I look forward to working with the authorities on future projects to get this job done properly."
A permit from the NLC is needed for anyone wishing to undertake any of the following
activities on Aboriginal Land across the NLC region: enter Aboriginal Land or waters for any purpose; travel by private road on Aboriginal Land; or enter or visit an Aboriginal Community.
More information on how to apply is available online.
