1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Now the President of the East Arnham Council has welcomed 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: the genuine recognition of Indigenous local government also known as 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: Aboriginal community controlled local government councils, and this is something 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: that's happening right now. Joining us well, I'm joined right 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: now by the East Arnham Council CEO, Dale Keane. Good 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: morning to you, Dale. 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: Good morning Dale. 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: I apologize that we're running late this morning. 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 2: Mate, Thank you. 10 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: So much for your time today. Now, why is this 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: recognition so important? 12 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 2: Look, this is something council has been working on for 13 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: at least the last year, but it's really important in 14 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 2: terms of first of all, funding our Aboriginal council. Look, 15 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 2: I'm Balandera, which means Westerner, but all my bosses, the 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,319 Speaker 2: president of the council, all the local authorities in every 17 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 2: nine community are Aboriginal, and this council the things that 18 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: they want to work with community, they can't give one 19 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: dollar as an Aboriginal organization. So there's so much new 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: even so much good work, and council can help do 21 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: that work. And that's the first thing. 22 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. 23 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: The second part of it is really about the voice. 24 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: What sort of things that people want in communities want 25 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 2: to make things better and. 26 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: So talk us through how like has the process beengun 27 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: on the transition or where exactly the things out at 28 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: the moment. 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 2: Look, you know, it is very much like land rights. 30 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: I mean, we know that's a massively significant thing. But 31 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: the land rights, you know, people average and people always 32 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: had the rights to land, just that recognition of that. 33 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 2: So this has been an Aboriginal Council. We're been here 34 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: fourteen years like the other regional big councils, and before 35 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 2: that there were the councils in each community which were 36 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: a result. So it's not in terms of the recognition part. 37 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 2: It's been since around June last year. Council put up 38 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: in motion down in Canberra and meet with the Minister 39 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: as well ken White. But the motion was to Australian 40 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: Local Government Association and they got a unanimous support for 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: the recognition should be recognitioned by every day and Territory 42 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: and the Federal Government of the Aboriginal status, the authority 43 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: and role of Aboriginal councils around Startia. 44 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: And as you said, you know you've obviously everybody on 45 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: the on the council, or a lot of the people 46 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: on the council are Indigenous, they're local indigenous people. Has 47 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: it been like, has it been something that they've been 48 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: wanting for quite some time? Has it been frustrating for 49 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: them up until this point. Yeah? 50 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: Absolutely, you know, I mean I think you all are 51 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,239 Speaker 2: very forgiving with government coming in over the years in 52 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 2: different governments and coming in and not necessarily listening as 53 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 2: much as they could or should that they Yeah, they're 54 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: absolutely and as you know, people a pretty strong here. 55 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 2: I mean there's definitely strong Aboriginal community across the whole event. Yeah, 56 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: but I can speak, you know for the people. I 57 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: work for the Yawned people, and yeah, they're very passionate 58 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,399 Speaker 2: about this. They want to make sure they're voice. They've 59 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: got a voice. They make resolutions every local authority meeting, 60 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 2: every council meeting. But my am Larget not been hurt 61 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: by the Balander governments and they're positive. They want to 62 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 2: work and they want to partner with the governments more 63 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 2: and more, and they want to work with all the 64 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 2: other Ravage organizations as we do day and day out, 65 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: but just in really pushing to get some more progress 66 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: and a lot of social and other issues. 67 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: And as that was going to be my next question, 68 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: what are the biggest issues that they are really hoping 69 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: to get that recognition on and you know, to make 70 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: some change. 71 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: Look, you know there's so many that's i mean, some 72 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 2: major issues at the moment of youth justice. I'm really 73 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: trying to get out of this merry go round where 74 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 2: no one wants kids to go to don Dale and 75 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: go down that path. But so on the other how 76 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 2: we want to bring communities together, the clans, to have 77 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: that authority work with the police, work and build on 78 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 2: the youth programs. We've got to get kids offer that 79 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: track and onto the right track with traditional authority CDP 80 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: that's been reviewed and we're real ten to get back 81 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: to a real genuine CDP that leads the jobs, roads 82 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: and massives across the community into homelands. Carlor is a 83 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: big thing in our region and other parts that the 84 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: legal sale carver are coming back. So there's quite a 85 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: there's a raft of issues and by having engagement and stronger, 86 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: real genuine engagement from ground up, we reckon we can 87 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 2: and the councilor is very clear that we have a 88 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 2: practical way forward. Yeah, So rather than having meetings on 89 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: these things and people come in and go, we have 90 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 2: the voice of the people who follow through with action 91 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 2: and then working in partnership of government to get real 92 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 2: action because sometimes on these things that things float around 93 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 2: and you can't get the level of action that should happen. 94 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's exactly right. And you know you're talking about 95 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: about real people in the community who want to make 96 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: that change and those leaders that want to you know, 97 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: to be at the fore making sure that they are 98 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: part of that change. 99 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: By the sounds of it, absolutely and they absolutely are. 100 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 2: I mean, anyone can check our record is the last 101 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 2: few years, all the resolutions of each local authority, whether 102 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: it's advocating to get staffing the property, staffing at Milli 103 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: across so the clinic can be open off or better 104 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 2: engagement with police, that those things are there. But we're 105 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: just not getting enough action on the ground in terms 106 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: of response from government. But we really like the long 107 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 2: gum are under our president. He's passionate about engaging and working. 108 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: Good government is about coming together. It's just about recognizing 109 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 2: if we come together, we will be able to get 110 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 2: more done. And the federal government is very important as well, 111 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 2: because they've got you know, they've got most of the 112 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: repair of the money and you know, with them and 113 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 2: all the key services the NT government to run together, 114 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 2: we could try and get some innovative ways and going 115 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 2: back to culture as well at heart to work through 116 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: some social issues and make a better future for the 117 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: communititans and only members as well. Well. 118 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: As things progress, we'll have to we'll have to get 119 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: you back on or if you want to bring a 120 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: lab Plung on the show, we'd love to have him 121 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: on as well. Yeah, I think it'd be good to 122 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: hear how things progress and and you know the change 123 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: then that you see in the in the communities and 124 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: in the region. 125 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,559 Speaker 2: Sure, thanks a lot. And Laplong is leading a meeting 126 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: right now in the building. I'm in here at Yrkarla 127 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 2: and he's really keen to talk directly and that's you know, 128 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 2: that's why it should be of course, So he's he's 129 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: leading this with the other counselors there in Alas. So 130 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,919 Speaker 2: thanks a lot for the opportunity. We're happy to talk again. 131 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, we appreciate it. Good to talk to you and 132 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: no doubt we'll talk again in the near future. Dale Keene, 133 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: thank you so much for your time.