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FW: Amangul photos
Good Morning IHANT
Board Members,
There is information below about the state of housing and infrastructure
of just one ADF (Aboriginal Development Foundation) property -
Amagul at Adelaide River.
I am writing to the IHANT (Indigenous Housing Authority Northern
Territory) Board as the housing issues of Indigenous people in the
NT are the responsibility of the Board. I am not writing this email as
an IHANT Board member, but as the Chair of the Yilli Rreung Regional Council,
elected by the Indigenous people in this region to advocate for the social
and economic needs of Indigenous people in the region. I am emailing this
message to the IHANT Board for your information, but also ccing this email
to the OIPC staff, some other stakeholders, including members of the media.
I am taking this step because I have tried on many occasions to work with
the current processes to address the issues outlined below. I have been
annoyed over the last 8 months that I have been Chair that this situation
was allowed to occur and this stalemate has continued with little change
to the residents. I do not feel that this issue is progressing to a resolution
and in the meantime residents of the ADF properties are living in third
world squalor. As you are aware the Regional Councils will be abolished
in the near future and I am desperate to see some movement on this issue
in the short time I have left in this position. I would be derelict in
my duty as the Chair of the Regional Council if I did not look at other
avenues to speed things up as I can't see anything being finalised under
the current structure prior to the abolition of ATSIC.
In my opinion the housing maintenance services that ADF were responsible
for and which IHANT fund had been delivered at an appalling level in all
ADF leases over many years. Funding to ADF ceased in July 2004. In September,
Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation took over the IHANT housing
program. YRHAC have been unable to reach a service level agreement with
ADF. In the interim, YRHAC had little choice but to quarantine the funds
they have received for this program until the issue is resolved. Due to
this, these ADF leased properties either are not receiving a service at
all or continue to receive the disgraceful service they previously received.
Based on my observation of the conditions in these communities, I beleive
that ADF have failed in their responsibility. However, it is my view that
as the funding body and program manager, IHANT need to consider the measures
in place for program management and whether these were and are sufficient
given the situation we now find ourselves in.
As the Regional Council Chair of the region effected, the issue be raised
not just with Minister Ah Kit but also with Ministers Burns (DIIPI) and
Patterson (FaCS - Cth). I would like to be consulted about the contents
of these letters prior to them being finalised and sent.
Raising concerns with Minister Ah Kit would not go far enough to address
the issue of the leaseholder impeding service delivery to the residents
of the communities. The special purpose lease requires the leaseholder
to allow services to be carried out on the property leased. My understanding
is that the NT has sought legal advice on this issue and I would like
to see a copy of this advice. It is this issue which needs to be raised
with the Ministers. I want to see a review of the ADF leases by the two
NT Government agencies and a decision made about whether the continuation
of any of the ADF leases is appropriate in these circumstances.
In relation to the email below, we are talking about a situation where
raw sewerage is coming out of the pipes: an aged pensioner, the Chairperson
of ADF and the community leader of Amagul is having to pour hot water
on the floor because of leaking grey water - a health hazard in itself
- so that she is not slipping on the ground, power switches in the house
have not worked for some time and have not been repaired so that extension
chords are leading all around the community to enable the power supply
to houses, with the risk of electrocution
Municipal Services Funds would have been available and allocated from
ATSIS for the upkeep of public street lighting, yet power lines have been
stripped from the poles and have not worked for years.
ADF want to continue to provide services yet the Chairperson is apparently
unaware of the role and responsibilities of ADF, her role as the Chairperson,
the options of ADF in relation to the Service Level Agreement and the
reasons why YRHAC are not really supposed to assist. This leads to the
question whether the ADF Board is able to make any informed decision,
ADF is getting away with this when people are continually being placed
at risk.
What is the process or mechanism to monitor the leaseholder's compliance
with lease conditions?
It is my view that the lease conditions are continuously being breached
and a serious response is needed.
I have had a number of discussions with the Darwin Urban Indigenous Coordination
Centre Manager, Gayle De La Cruz about this issue and it is on the agenda
of the ATSIC Yilli Rreung Regional Council Meeting when Mike Dillon will
be attending on 3 March. Any information you can provide to me in answer
to the questions I have raised would be appreciated.
Kimberley Hunter
Chairperson
ATSIC Yilli Rreung Regional Council - Kimberley.HUNTER@rc.atsic.gov.au
(08) 89445621
0409777358
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