Minister promotes further anxiety about the closure of remote communities

Tuesday, 30 June

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier has further confused the debate around remote community closures after commenting that the Kimberley and Pilbara regions were the government’s primary focus.

Mr Collier made the comments at a regional cabinet meeting held in Kalgoorlie over the weekend after being questioned by a Ngaanyatjarra elder.

WA Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs Robin Chapple MLC said comments such as these only added to the anxiety being felt by Aboriginal people living in remote communities throughout Western Australia.

“When will this government start to take the concerns of Aboriginal people seriously and tell the truth about their plans to close remote communities,” Mr Chapple.

“On one level we have the official line which is that no decisions about closing communities have been made, and won’t be made until proper consultation has taken place.

“Yet we continue to hear from various government representatives that some communities are known to be unsustainable, and now that only communities in certain regions will be targeted.

“I’m glad the Minister is not focused on closing communities in the Goldfields region, but what does that mean for people in the Pilbara and the Kimberley. They are only left further in the dark by this revelation.

“Furthermore, industry representatives have revealed the government has given them reassurances about remote communities that may fall within their jurisdictions. So why does this government insist on keeping Aboriginal people in the dark?

“As the WA Greens have said from the start, any policy concerning the provision of services to Aboriginal people living on country in remote areas needs to begin with a conversation and a willingness to actually listen.

“The Minister, his Department, the Government’s handling of this issue, and indeed the concept of closing remote communities at all, is absolutely deplorable.”

For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.

Media liaison: Tim Oliver // 0431 9696 25          

 

 

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