Media Release

KAP Federal Leader and Member for Kennedy Bob Katter will use his address to a meeting of Indigenous Council leaders on Palm Island today to highlight the case for Title Deeds to be issued to First Australians to address the fundamental issue of lagging economic development.

“The biggest issue holding First Australians back is the issue of definitive ownership, which is Title Deeds,” Mr Katter said.

“There is no other way that job creation and development can occur.

“It is the same as every other business venture in Australian history - if they want to borrow from a bank, the bank wants the security of a Title Deed for mortgage ability.

“Yet First Australians remain the only people on earth that can’t get a Title Deed to own their own home.”

During Mr Katter’s time as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in Queensland during the 1980s nearly 1,000 title deeds were issued to First Australians and First Australian communities, yet in the intervening 25 years less than two dozen have been issued.

“The Cape York Peninsula is bigger than and has over twice the rainfall of Victoria,” Mr Katter said.

“Victoria has seven million head of cattle which brings in $4,000 million a year to their economy.

“But we have got under 100,000 head of cattle now at Cape York.

“Real ownership of the land through a Title Deed is the only thing that will allow First Australians to borrow money for development of this kind,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter hit out at successive Governments who had failed to grant Title Deeds to First Australians.

“As a Nation we should be utterly ashamed of our Governments, their performance in this area is nothing less than despicable.

“Less than two dozen Title Deeds have been issued in the last 25 years, whereas I issued nearly 1,000 Title Deeds when I was the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

“We’ve now got diabetes in epidemic proportions, mal-nutrition by another name, as First Australians haven’t got enough money to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

“I for one am sick of it, the Governments have done nothing about it and quite frankly we need to do it ourselves.

“Billy Gordon and the KAP State Members Shane Knuth and Robbie Katter are as powerful as the Government in Queensland and I don’t doubt that they will use their power to deliver here.

“If the State Government wants a contest, we’ll see you in the ring,” Mr Katter said.

Photo: Bob Katter and Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey on Palm Island yesterday (photo credit Anne Pleash).