Can Palm Island survive as an 'out of sight - out of mind' welfare dependent community?

Palm Island was established in the early days as an Aboriginal penal settlement. Representatives of some 42 tribes were taken to the island and formed the core of the problem we have today.

Following last Friday’s riots, no one misunderstands the need for the community to undertake a whole lot of healing, and the government can’t do that for them.

We understand that the islanders need to deal with their historical issues and that governments need to look differently at how we do business with the island community. From the government’s part we can get our systems operating better and our service systems sorted out, but the answer is not in planeloads of bureaucrats going to Palm Island trying to interfere with the rebuilding of the community.

Unfortunately, Palm Island does not have the cultural authority of traditional owners that is found in other communities. This is a result of its history. It is an artificial community. People have lost their way. Young people have no idea where they have come from or what their culture is.

In the immediate term I am concerned about the influx of strangers and what they will bring to the community. This is not a time for radicalism. Out of respect for Cameron Doomagee’s family I ask that people remain calm.

I am encouraged that the Australian Government’s new arrangements in respect to the disbandment of ATSIC will see many problems in Indigenous affairs sorted out. There has been a welcome response from Indigenous leaders, but governments can only do so much - in the end the community needs to do a lot more.

Over the years there have been many reports on the conditions on Palm Island and what to do about them. They reaffirm that any way forward must recognise the contemporary issues facing Aboriginal people are linked to history and any response needs to address that history.

Residents of Palm Island have said on many occasions that the lack of an economic base and limited employment opportunities perpetuates the continued dependence on governments for funding basic services.

This results in residents who find themselves living below the poverty line in inadequate housing with minimal support services. Most residents resent this situation and see economic development as the only means of breaking the welfare cycle.

This is why I believe that the integration model I have re articulated today is the only way forward for Islanders to be able to live a decent life free from the scourge of living in third world conditions.