oz- Police cannot cope with backlash
Jerry
Police cannot cope with backlash
Date: April 26 2008
Russell Skelton
THE Northern Territory Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, has warned the
Federal Government that many indigenous people displaced by the
emergency intervention are creating unrest and straining police
capacity.
Mr Henderson told the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin,
in confidential discussions last month that the intervention was
having a perverse effect on towns and cities and further action was
needed to make it work.
His comments are the first official indication that the $1 billion
territory intervention to eradicate child abuse and improve education
standards is running into difficulties despite bipartisan support.
Alice Springs is battling to cope with the unintended consequences of
the intervention, including a rise in public drinking and a jump in
the number of violent assaults.
The town's once-thriving small business sector has also been hit by
Centrelink's quarantining of welfare payments, a policy that
encourages Aborigines to shop at the big three retailers Coles,
Woolworths and Kmart.
Leaked minutes of a ministers' meeting in Darwin last month show Mr
Henderson confirmed that many people had migrated from remote
communities to urban centres to avoid alcohol and gambling bans and
welfare quarantining. Cards issued by Centrelink for food and clothing
are more easily traded in urban centres such as Alice Springs for cash
and alcohol.
The newly elected mayor of Alive Springs, Damien Ryan, this week
called on federal and territory governments to rethink aspects of the
intervention and face the unintended negative effect on indigenous and
non-indigenous residents and business.
There is consensus among police, politicians, business groups and
welfare agencies that an influx of bush people into Alice Springs has
led to further overcrowding and a worsening of conditions in the 20 or
so town camps home to more than 2000 people.
The camps, notorious for violent assault, domestic violence, substance
abuse and theft, appear mostly untouched by the intervention. At one
camp people drink openly despite a liquor ban. Many children do not go
to school and can be seen playing among empty beer cans and bottles.
Territory crime statistics show that in December in Alice Springs the
number of assaults rose 16 per cent from the previous quarter to an
average 93 assaults each month, and house break-ins rose 17 per cent
from the previous quarter. But much of the violence in the camps goes
unreported.
Emergency workers report greater numbers of people forced to sleep in
parks and the Todd riverbed because of the acute accommodation
shortage.
In an interview, Mr Ryan urged an immediate review of Centrelink's
policies that were affecting small businesses. He also called on the
big retailers to provide work for the town's swelling indigenous
population.
A Country Liberal Party MP and former opposition leader, Jodeen
Carney, said there were insufficient resources to implement the
dry-town policy and called on governments to take the matter more
seriously.
Ms Macklin is understood to be reviewing the situation and has
indicated that $18 million in housing funds is available to refurbish
accommodation.