The Northern Land Council is committed to working closely with the new Labor Federal Government to achieve further progress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
NLC Chairman Samuel Bush-Blanasi congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his election win and noted the growing number of Indigenous parliamentarians.
“There has been a seismic shift in Australian politics and the number of Indigenous Australians who have been elected to the national Parliament continues to increase. This gives us a stronger voice. I look forward to building a solid working relationship between the new government and the four Territory land councils,” Mr Bush-Blanasi said.
Key priorities for the first meeting between Mr Bush-Blanasi and representatives of the new Government will include: fast-tracking funding for remote housing and homelands; developing a new program to replace CDP; and maximising job opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians.
“We urgently need to improve housing and infrastructure on Aboriginal land, particularly in remote communities and homelands. Over-crowding is still a problem. If we can get housing right that will have a huge impact on the health of our people.”
Mr Bush-Blanasi welcomed Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“Mr Albanese’s victory speech has got relations off to a good start. The full implementation of the Uluru Statement will be transformational for Aboriginal people.”
Mr Bush-Blanasi also welcomed the Government’s commitments to increasing the number of Indigenous rangers and funding for Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs).
“Indigenous rangers and IPAs play a vital role in the restoration and preservation of land and water. More rangers and funding for IPAs benefits Aboriginal communities through the creation of jobs on country and helps improve biosecurity and protect biodiversity for the benefit of all Australians.”
