$50m plan to fix town camps

Rebecca Lollback

24Jun08

TANGENTYERE Council will meet today to consider a $50 million deal to clean up Alice Springs' town camps.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin this week offered the Commonwealth deal to the council, which is charged with administering the camps.

In 2007 Tangentyere Council rejected a $60 million offer from former indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough, which asked residents to sign a 99-year lease on their properties. The Macklin deal requires a 40-year lease.

Tangentyere Council will today consider a $50m offer of federal money to help clean up its town camps.

Ms Macklin has been in discussions with the council for six to eight weeks after being approached by Tangentyere for financial help.

The council receives about $20 million in funding every year.

Ms Macklin said she was hopeful the new deal would be accepted.

She said there would be an immediate injection of $5.3 million if the council relinquished control of housing and other essential services.

She said: ``The situation is shocking. We need to act urgently to house people properly so children can go to school and lead decent, fulfilling lives like other Australian children.''

The $50 million deal, if accepted, would improve roads and housing.

Tangentyere Council would have to lease the land to the government for 40 years.

The council will have a full meeting today to talk about whether to accept the deal.

Deputy executive director Tracey Brand said she could not say if council was in favour of the proposal.

She said: ``There will be a meeting to discuss the issue.

``There could be a decision straight away or they could choose to talk about it for a few days or so. I can't really say what will happen.''

Ms Macklin's $50 million offer is similar to the deal offered to Tangentyere by former indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough.

He said the council's refusal to accept his $60 million offer was his ``greatest disappointment''.

But Mr Brough had asked Tangentyere to sign 99-year leases.

Ms Macklin has instead asked for 40-year leases.

Alice Springs' town camps normally accommodate about 2000 people. But numbers have reportedly increased dramatically since the start of the intervention, with people from communities coming into town.