Land ownership, housing and telecommunications, priorities for Yarrabah
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, housing, and land ownership are top of mind for the residents of Yarrabah, a First Australian community near Cairns in Far North Queensland.
Yarrabah’s internet is so intermittent that the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation cannot even access patient records online.
Kennedy MP, Bob Katter recently sat down with Dr Jason King and CEO Suzanne Andrews to discuss the problem and agrees that the town must have fibre optic cable within the community itself, and there must be a fibre optic connection to Cairns.
“I was in Yarrabah the other day and they have terrible communications problems,” Mr Katter said.
“There are probably a hundred sites along the coast where you have a few hundred people with poor telecommunications. Yarrabah is only a stone’s throw from Cairns. The Federal Government has handed out a lot of money for this, so I cannot attack them, but the Federal Government must put more money into telecommunications. This issue must be fixed.
“Privatising Telstra was a disaster. The Government used to fund telecommunications upgrades with the profits from Telstra. But they sold it so there is no profits to cross-subsidise the infrastructure and service upgrades.
“The big metropolitan areas get coverage, but up here we get nothing.”
Mr Katter said Yarrabah was also being held back because locals effectively cannot own land as they can’t get access to a freehold title.
“The State and Federal Governments have refused to give First Australia community residents access to freehold title deeds. How can they refuse generations of people that have been here for thousands of years the right to own a piece of land just because they live in a First Australian community?” he said.
“People criticise the community areas, and all sorts of socials ills that prevail there, but where is the incentive to thrive?
“The land ownership arrangement locks these communities into handouts and a few government jobs. No ownership means no private enterprise or small business.
“But the obstacles do not stop there. If you drink alcohol in a First Australian community area, then you get a criminal charge. Therefore, you can’t get a BlueCard.
“No BlueCard means no government job. Suicide rates, death rates, crime rates, drug rates are soaring.
“I deserve little credit for the freehold title deeds in Queensland being called the Katter leases. I simply just asked the people what they wanted and then acted. The Katter leases were phased out by the incoming ALP Government in the 1990s. Should I be re-elected to parliament to represent this great community once again, a key priority will be dusting off the Katter Lease legislation and reintroducing it federally.
“When I tenaciously defend these people it’s because I know the forces at work. They are not allowed to own houses in First Australia or Aboriginal Community areas. How can you open a business when the bank won’t give you money unless you have a mortgage, and no-one owns a home.”
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