By Bill Day
DARWIN — The Northern Territory government and the Darwin City Council have rejected appeals for water and toilet facilities for homeless Aborigines camped under the busy flight path of the international airport in Ludmilla. The group of mainly elderly and invalid Aborigines have been at "Fish Camp" since they were evicted from scenic Lee Point to make way for tourist developments.
The authorities claim they are not responsible for providing services because the people are now on Aboriginal land. This has not prevented World Vision from providing three tarpaulins and pegs and ropes for emergency shelter during the monsoon season.
The land is part of the 301-hectare Kulaluk Special Purpose Lease, won after a long struggle by a coalition of homeless Aborigines against the sub-division of their low-lying coastal land in the 1970s. The Kulaluk management has made a deal with McDonald's restaurants and the golden arches now tower over Kulaluk land.
Vysrose Pty Ltd has signed a 99-year lease to construct a golf course, go-cart track and water-ski pond on other areas of the lease. The people at Fish camp live beside massive excavations for a prawn farm in environmentally sensitive mangroves which are used regularly by Aborigines for fishing and crabbing.
Last month, work on the aquaculture ponds was halted by a native title claim made by Larrakia elder Tibby Quall. He is concerned by the sell-out of hard-won Aboriginal land, set aside for "community use" in 1979. The Fish Camp struggle is part of the conflict over Darwin land usage.
Meanwhile, the people at Fish Camp shelter under their tarpaulins, determined to continue the campaign for facilities for people moving into the city from neglected Arnhem Land communities.