Anger at indigenous lease plan

The Coalition yesterday introduced amendments to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act to let traditional owners lease their land, even entire townships, for 99 years. It says the changes will encourage private home ownership.

But instead of using public money to pay rent to traditional owners who lease their land to the Government, the funds will come from the Aboriginal Benefits Account, which holds mining royalties collected on behalf of indigenous communities.

The Government retains 30 per cent of the money (paid to Aborigines by mining companies) for spending on indigenous communities, while the rest is paid to land councils and royalty associations.

Federal Labor MP Warren Snowdon, member for Lingiari, said the Government was using benefits account money as its own "slush fund" and discriminating against Aborigines by capping their rent payments. "Aboriginal people pay tax like every other Australian and should get the same benefits from that pool," he said.

If the amendments pass, the Government will take $15 million over five years from the account to pay traditional owners rent based on the land value. The Government will cap the payments at 5 per cent of the value, a move labelled "discriminatory" by land councils.

The Government is not barred from using mining royalties to fund services for Aborigines, but land councils are concerned Aboriginal money is being used to pay for basic services that, in the case of non-indigenous people, are funded by taxpayers. Last month the Government announced $10 million would be taken out of the account to clean up Alice Springs town camps. Another $10 million was taken for housing in Galiwinku, an Aboriginal community on Elcho Island, East Arnhem Land.

A spokesman for Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough said: "It is entirely appropriate that some of the (account) funds be used to establish the leasing scheme." He said the maximum annual rental payment of 5 per cent was consistent with what was accepted in the market.

But Central Land Council director David Ross said the leases were "unnecessary, expensive and flawed". He said money taken out of the account would "cause significant tensions in the communities affected" and the 5 per cent cap was discriminatory. "Who else in this country does that apply to?" he said.

Jon Altman, director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at Australian National University, agreed. "Can you imagine if we applied that to white Australians?" he said.

A Northern Land Council spokesman said it also had concerns about using the account money.

Federal aid urged

Prime Minister John Howard has to recognise that ending social dysfunction in indigenous communities is a matter of national significance, says Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin.

Ms Martin met Mr Howard yesterday to discuss sexual abuse and violence in Aboriginal communities and to ask for more money. Delivering a speech at the annual Fraser Lecture in Canberra last night, Ms Martin said that while law and order needed to be restored, the problems would not be fixed without federal investment in education, housing and infrastructure.