CAAMA Radio News, March 26, 2023 Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin: • The Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the Liberal Party is no closer to a formal position on the voice despite the wording being released. • Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has been pulled to the ground by police after attempting to interrupt a rally being held by an anti-trans rights campaigner. • The Territory Police commissioner says officers will be pulled from usual duties to staff high visibility patrols at known crime hotspots.
After months of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders PM Anthony Albanese has revealed the exact wording of the referendum question and proposed constitutional amendment which will be put to the Australian people when they vote in the referendum on a Voice to parliament.
caamapwphoto 2016
The Prime Minister said the proposed change would ask for the constitution be amended to include a new chapter titled “Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples”.
The Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians , Wiradjiri woman Linda Burney, told Parliament that a Voice “will hold bureaucracy to account and move Australia forward for everyone.”
” This is about all Australians and every single person will have a vote. The referendum is going to happen, and I understand that the Liberal Party room will make a decision next week, but at the end of the day, that’s their decision. What I do know is that the party that I’m part of, the government and First Nations people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across this country, want this to happen, to improve life outcomes and to also unify us as a nation.”
Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin:
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed the exact wording of the referendum question and proposed constitutional amendment which will be put to the Australian people when they vote at the Voice to parliament referendum.
The Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Wiradjiri woman Linda Burney told Parliament that a Voice that will hold bureaucracy to account, and move Australia forward for everyone” but former leader of the Nationals and deputy prime minister in the Morrison coalition government, Barnaby Joyce remains critical.
Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin: • Federal Senator Jacinta Nampajinpa Price has joined the Northern Territory opposition’s call for a crime crackdown. • A chatbot that allows users to identify and report instances of racism has been launched. • There are calls for rules to be changed to allow more incarcerated people to vote on an indigenous voice to Parliament.
The NT government will immediately review the Territory’s bail laws for offenses involving a weapon, as well as review penalties for people carrying weapons in public following the alleged murder of a 20 year old bottle shop worker on Sunday night.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles released this statement earlier today.
“Enough is enough.”
Our Government, just like every Territorian, is fed up with the violence on our streets and towards our workers.
In addition to the extensive community safety measures in place, I’ve announced an immediate review of Police powers to increase public safety as well as a review of bail laws for people who engage in offences involving a weapon.
We are taking immediate action, as well as introducing a raft of new initiatives to improve community safety and the safety of our workers.
IMMEDIATE REVIEW OF BAIL LAWS AND PENALTIES FOR WEAPON OFFENCES:
Work will immediately commence on reviewing bail laws for offences involving a weapon – including the presumption for and against bail for such offences.
A review of the current penalties for people carrying weapons in public will also be undertaken along with a review of police powers to ensure they are adequate and meet community expectations.
CAPSICUM SPRAY TO BE EXPANDED TO TRANSIT SAFETY OFFICERS, CROWD CONTROLLERS, AND SECURITY GUARDS:
Transit Safety Officers will soon be equipped with Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray canisters to assist with the safety and protection of people using public transport.
We will also immediately commence the process to allow for security and crowd controller licence holders to also have these powers.
This initiative provides workers with another tool to protect themselves and the community, in serious circumstances.
Intensive training in the use of OC spray will be conducted in partnership with defensive tactic professionals, and will be required in accordance with approved standards.
A safeguard mechanism of reportable incidents will also be worked into the framework.
WORK PLACE SAFETY REVIEW:
The Northern Territory Government will undertake an audit of late night retail outlets across the Northern Territory.
This audit will provide advice on how business security can be improved through a range of mechanisms, including crime reduction through environmental design (looking at the layout of businesses to optimise the safety of staff).
We will also review Work Health and Safety Legislation to ensure it’s contemporary and working as intended.
INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE:
Commencing immediately, Northern Territory Police, Fire and emergency Services will continue with high visibility policing patrols, targeting known hotspots to deter and curb unacceptable behavior.
This will continue in Darwin and through Operation Drina in Alice Springs.
FUNDING FOR CROWD CONTROLLERS AT TAKEAWAY OUTLETS:
Government will assist with the funding of security and crowd controllers at take away liquor outlets until the end of June 2023.
IMPROVED SUPPORT AND SAFETY TRAINING FOR RETAIL WORKERS:
Working in partnership with industry, the Northern Territory Government will develop a best practice training guide for retail workers when dealing with confronting situations.
Training will include de-escalation tactics and refresher training for Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA).
ALCOHOL SECURE RELAUNCH:
The Northern Territory Governments Alcohol Secure Program provides financial support to licensed premises to increase the physical safety and security of their liquor stock against theft or damage.
These measures, in addition to the extensive community safety measures in place, will operate alongside the Northern Territory’s updated trespass legislation.
Set to be debated in Parliament this week, these changes will make it easier for businesses to issue trespass notices and ban people from entering their premises.
Let me make this very clear – the safety of our community is, and always will be, paramount.
Nothing has changed on that front.
We have, and continue to do, more than any Northern Territory Government to address crime and antisocial behaviour.
We are a government that acts, and today’s measures – along with an increase in high visibility policing – are a continuation of this important work.
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles 22-03-2023
Opposition leader Lia Finnochiaro said a bail review was not enough,and immediate action is needed instead.
NT Opposition leader Lia Finnochiaro
“For years we have been calling to stop the revolving door of bail, sadly it took a loss of life to a violent offender out on bail for Natasha Fyles to listen.”
“The death was avoidable but it cannot be in vain.“Our legislation is written and could be implemented this week by the parliament.
“It is important Natasha Fyles does not pick and choose parts of bail to be reviewed.”
Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin: • Rangers from across Central Australia will gather near Ross River for the Central Land Council’s annual training camp covering training in skills and conversations about landcare. • Eight of the 12 sections of Central Australia’s 230-kilometre Larapinta Trail near Mbantwe Alice Springs have been closed due to a bushfire in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell) National Park that has been burning for two weeks. • Police will restart their search for a missing man who disappeared from a remote Kimberley community near Port Headland last year.
An Aboriginal family of nearly twenty, including women and children who lived on a cement slab without water and sanitation for nearly two years…. is the shameful face of the disparity which Australia as a nation is still trying to deal with.
Kerrynne Liddle
Mpartnwe /Alice Springs born politician Kerrynne Liddle who is a member of the Liberal Party and the first Aboriginal federal member of parliament from South Australia first raised her concerns about the family when she returned to her hometown three weeks ago.
Ms Liddle who was again back in her hometown last week as part of a fact finding mission with the Federal Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley – told CAAMA that people have to start being prepared to make tough decisions.
Federal Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley with SA Liberal Senator Kerrynne Liddle
Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin: • Labor has claimed the Top End seat of Arafura after weeks of campaigning by both major political parties. • Many remote communities in the Northern Territory are struggling with low food supplies, with roads still cut after heavy rain from ex-cyclone Ellie late last year and follow-up floods. ` • The referendum working group for a voice to parliament say they are certain they will have a finalised wording of a question to put to the people soon.
Get in contact with the CAAMA newsroom: news@caama.com.au CAAMA Radio produces two local news bulletins airing at 12pm and 6pm every weekday. A full bulletin can also be heard online.
In this bulletin: • The Territory chief minister Natasha Fyles says a $250 million cash injection from the federal government to help with social issues in Central Australia is expected to become available from July 1. • The mayor of Darwin has acknowledged that homeless people could find it difficult to pay fines for sleeping rough. ` • Managers of the Lajamanu General Store in the Northern Territory’s West are warning there is only one week of food left before shelves are completely empty.
In Mparntwe Alice Springs, a gathering took place at the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens where concerned community members and experts gathered to talk about the impacts of buffel grass in the community.
One of the event co-ordinators, Alex Vaughan, who is the Policy Officer at Arid Lands Environment Centre, spoke on the issue, “It makes more intense wildfires and makes wildfires occur more frequently… it turns woodlands and big red river gum trees along riverways, it burns them down and sacred trees and it transforms those areas into grasslands.”
Buffel grass was introduced to the Northern Territory of Australia in the late 1800s as a way to provide grazing for cattle. The grass originated in Africa and was brought to Australia due to its ability to grow well in arid regions. Initially, buffel grass was seen as a solution to the problem of providing enough food for cattle in the Northern Territory, however, it quickly became clear that the introduction of buffel grass would have unintended consequences.
In recent years, there have been increasing calls for action to be taken to manage the spread of buffel grass in the Northern Territory. Efforts to control the spread of the grass have included herbicide treatment, controlled burns, and mechanical removal. However, these efforts have been limited by a lack of funding and political will. In the Northern Territory, the government does not classify buffel grass as a weed, therefore it does not receive funding for managing invasive species.
In 16 April 2012, the now deceased leader from the APY Lands in the north of south Australia, Kawaki Punch Thompson, had this to say on Buffel Grass, “”We used to have so many beautiful smelling plants and flowers. Today there are very few to be seen. Because of Buffel grass. This makes us feel sick inside, just the thought of it. We used to have so many different plants, and all the insects that went with them, such as butterflies and moths. Where are they all now?”
At the meeting, first Nations communities have also expressed their concerns about the negative impact of buffel grass on the environment and their cultural heritage. The introduction of the grass has transformed the landscape and threatens local ecosystems. In the words of Que Nakamarra Kenny, an Arrernte woman from Ntaria, it is crucial to consider the voices of First Nations communities and take action to manage this invasive species.
IMMEDIATE REVIEW OF BAIL LAWS AND PENALTIES FOR WEAPON OFFENCES:
