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Central Desert success lets Shire get on with business

You could expect things to work differently at the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. The Local Government authority is the most isolated in AustraliaIt services a sprawling 160,000 square kilometres. Its population of 1,800 people live in a group of 11 remote Aboriginal communities and – while their culture and traditions are among the most ancient – they are the newest recognised native title holders in the country. But in a region where cultural cohesion helped bring about Australia’s biggest native title settlement in record time, the Ngaanyatjarra people know how to get on with business.

Shire President, Damian McLean, who has lived in the biggest community of Warburton for more than 20 years, believes the role of Local Government in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands is still similar to most other areas.

“It is a surprisingly normal Local Government for all our regional differences,” he said. “We still do rates, roads and rubbish but our entire Shire area is inside a determined native title claim which has been recognised as exclusive possession.”

There is a high level of local involvement in the Shire, to the extent where the last contested election had a voluntary voter turn out of 45 per cent.

Since its establishment 12 years ago, the Shire has been committed to mainstreaming services and providing a strong administrative arm to communicate and lobby governments for a bigger slice of the funding pie. Regional development is an expensive business anywhere in Australia – but being located 1,500 kilometres from Perth and a system of 1,444 kilometres of unsealed roads – an annual operating budget of about $4 million does not go far.

For that reason, Damian McLean believes the Ngaanyatjarra people’s native title success will play an important role in confirming the stability of the region and assuring funding bodies their investment will not go to waste.

“Ngaanyatjarra people don’t have the ebb and flow in population like mining towns,” he said. “The people are going to be there for the long term and that forms the basis of good regional development. Native title also gives people some certainty in knowing they are going to have some controlling voice, it makes them less fearful of going out to engage with change and development.”

In one of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku’s latest projects the State and Federal Governments have pledged $1.6 million and $2 million respectively to increase broadband services to the communities. The Shire will also contribute $750,000. Councillor McLean said the expenditure was necessary to avoid bigger costs in the future.

The day the Federal Court visited Jameson

Chief Justice Michael Black recognised the Ngaanyatjarra people as the rightful native title holders over almost 170,000 square kilometres of land at a special determination hearing at the end of June. Hundreds of traditional owners gathered near the remote community of Jameson for the Federal Court hearing and subsequent celebration.

The settlement, between the Ngaanyatjarra Council, the Western Australian Government and other parties, was reached in less than 12 months after a single claim was filed over a group of six pre-existing desert claims. The determination covers parts of the Great Victoria and Gibson Deserts close to the South Australian and Northern Territory borders.

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