Joint Statement: NLC Water Committee and Housing and Homelands Committee

The NLC calls on the Northern Territory and Commonwealth Governments to address essential services issues impacting communities and homelands across our region. The NLC Water Committee and NLC Housing and Homelands Committee recently met to discuss the importance of essential services, such as water, power, and waste management. “Housing and homelands on our country is our right as Traditional Owners, and essential services is the lifeblood that makes this possible” - Wayne Wauchope, NLC Housing and Homelands Committee Chair For too long essential services in remote communities has been in the too hard basket for successive governments. Improving essential services in the region must no longer be an afterthought. In Bulla Community where bottled water is being provided to residents because the water poses health risks, the issue of essential services can no longer be an afterthought. Following record flooding earlier this year, Nauiyu residents were provided bottled water due to unsafe drinking water. There remains no solution to the health exceedances of manganese, with residents once again left in the dark on possible solutions or progress on this issue in Wugularr, there is a health exceedance of antimony, but bottled water is not being supplied as an alternative source of drinking water. “Access to safe and clean drinking water is a human right, it is hard for us to understand how Government makes decisions around addressing water issues in our communities, we need better communication and for issues to be solved quicker.” - Timothy Baker, NLC Water Committee Chair The high level of power disconnections on prepayment meters across communities, especially during times of extreme heat, can no longer be an afterthought. Ageing essential services infrastructure including power stations, water bores and pipes and sewerage holding up the delivery of new homes in remote communities can no longer be an afterthought. The lack of progress towards Closing the Gap Target 9b, which focuses on Aboriginal people’s access to essential services, including the lack of a data baseline can no longer be an afterthought. “As NLC Chair, I hear from Traditional Owners across the seven regions about their issues, with safe drinking water, with bores, with power and the challenges they face raising issues and seeing them addressed. People living in town do not face these issues. If the water wasn’t safe to drink in Karama they would fix it quickly, not deliver bottled water to residents. If there are issues with power in towns its fixed in hours. We need both Governments to come together and work with us to improve essential services across all communities and homelands.” - Matthew Ryan, NLC Chairperson For too long, Traditional Owners have had to repeatedly call for government action. Access to safe and secure drinking water is a human right, as is access to safe and secure housing, which needs essential services. The NLC is calling for real action on essential services including: 1. The Northern Territory Government urgently address safe drinking water issues in communities including Bulla, Nauiyu and Wugularr where the water is exceeding health guidelines. 2. The Commonwealth Government guarantee the First Nations funding stream in the National Water Grid. 3. A commitment from both the Northern Territory and Commonwealth Governments on progressing work towards Closing the Gap Target 9b. Media contact: media@nlc.org.au.