The Central Land Council has re-elected Warren Williams as CLC chair and Barbara Shaw as deputy chair at its meeting at Yulara today.
Mr Williams, a retired assistant Yuendumu school principal, thanked the CLC’s 90 community representatives for the faith they have placed in him for the second time.
“It’s the delegates that put me in as the chair. They are doing a lot of work in our communities and they put their trust in me,” he said.
Mr Williams has twice been a CLC deputy chair, represents Warlpiri communities on the Central Desert Regional Council and chairs Yuendumu’s Yapa Kurlangu Ngurrara Aboriginal Corporation.
He continues to help men overcome problems with domestic violence and to mediate community conflicts across the southern Tanami region.
He called on politicians to visit remote Territory communities if they are in any doubt about the sky-high cost of living, lack of real jobs and overcrowded and dilapidated houses.
“They should get out of their offices and look at the state the houses are in out in our communities,” he said.
“We need to see more young people training and working in our communities and on roads. Our roads need lots of work.”
He said residents need urgent relief from the exorbitant grocery, fuel, electricity and transport costs, as well as a substantial increase in the remote area allowance for the first time in 25 years.
“It really does matter. It’s alright for people in cities to complain about the cost of living. Come to our communities and see how much we have to pay. We pay twice what they pay, yet we have the lowest incomes.”
The CLC’s deputy chair since 2019, Ms Shaw works with the Tangentyere Family Safety Group that targets family violence in Alice Springs town camps.
She also chairs Aboriginal Investment Northern Territory.
“Our land councils and our rights are under attack again and I am ready to support our members and our chair in this fight,” she said.
This afternoon the CLC delegates will elect the remaining nine members of council’s executive committee.
The CLC election is carried out by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission.