Banjo,
I see where you're coming from but "white communities blended in?"
Been to
Dalas, Broadmeadows ..Melb

Western suburbs ... Sydney,

Elizabeth west ...Adelaide

suburbs in Logan and Ipswich ..Brisbane
Talk to the coal face crisis workers there I think they may disagree with you on that one.

Even my own area has a sub area know to the local police as "Gaza strip".

My point is that what is seen as a success as per Cornflower is relative.

My point was once you start making decisions base on generalisations you commence the journey over metaphorical thin ice.

Your comment about the size of the community is extremely apposite.I added the existence of cultural controls etc.

I don't think indestructible shipping container houses are the answer either...

nor is it a case of giving communities a hand full of money and saying "go for it" or a case of a paternal bureaucracy.

To me it starts with their own self pride.

Might I suggest local apprentices designing, building local homes (local ownership of the problem and the solution).
Not encouraging nepotism, corruption and internal squabbles over cargo etc.

In short each site has a unique solution.

As for your point about wasted money, Keel hauling beneath the surface....in the gibber desert comes to mind the question is who?

Aboriginal Affairs is indeed disaster on wheels...did I suggest keel hauling?
Sack the lot and start again flashes large. This time do it properly with people less concern about their careers and more focused on helping the individuals who need it.A good start would be to understand the cultures, people and their value systems....i.e. work with them not over them.

Anybody want me to explain and solve the middle east and bring world peace? (joke I know what I'm saying has all manner of roadblocks real and imaginary...it's just NOT that simple in practice)
Although keel hauling appeals so long as I'm hauling

Pied Piper,
No, have not seen the movie, will keep an eye out for it.

Media reports this morning about removal of kids at Lightning Ridge. My initial thoughts are Why would anyone work in DOCS? Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

examinator,
Yeah, maybe the Middle East peace would be easier to acheive. Its a bugger on the women and kids though. Lives wasted and opportunities missed. It depresses me.

Am still angry about thse 450 houses that now won't be built.

I saw that story Banjo, lets not leap to conclusions.
Whites live in much the same conditions out there.
The father is white and respected in his community.
The fact he hits his kids may be nothing or every thing, but is not in itself a reason to destroy the family.
DOCS sends green dills to places they will never understand, to judge people they will never understand.
And destroy lives in ways they can not see.
Now I doubt, may be very wrong, that NT rat bag government has misused the cash, or even has it yet.
But yes we should have less talk more walk and stop the weak rubbish, get the homes built make accountability for the care and cleaning them a them law.
But get it done, first step throw my government out, blinded by self interest and in fighting NT needs a chance to vote.

Belly,
I am not leaping to any conclusions.

I saw the story and thought why work for DOCS?

If they remove the kids, there is an outcry.

If some poor kid dies or something happens, there is an outcry that the kid should have been removed.

Seems they can't win whatever they do.

Bit like you, I was part of a large family with father on low wage, but they were loving and we only got smacks if we needed them. They put us first and we never went to bed hungry and were safe in nice, clean and warm beds. No domestic violence either. I am eternally gratefull for all that.

Believe this or not my niece works for the Vic equivalent to Docs and loves it. Interestingly her mum and elder brother and I were all adopted out. I missed meeting them for the first time by two years she died of breast cancer. And he died the year before.( how lucky were they?). I've met my niece and occasionally swap emails. She appears to be nice.

Banjo,
I never cease being disappointed but never surprised by bureaucracies or governments of either persuasions when it come to issues like this...All I and the suffering aboriginals want to know is what we did to deserve such appalling pollies? (given we're supposed to get the pollies we deserve)
Did I mention keelhauling the lot and starting again? groan.

Hey Banjo, I saw the movie Moolaade last night, was very good, about FGM in a Muslim community but really very interesting how the women themselves view it. Honestly worth watching if you don’t mind sub titles. It was on Foxtel World Movies last night so might pop up again if you subscribe.

You are right, no matter which direction DoCS move in they get the blame, Belly is right too because DoCS often choose the wrong direction. Do they have something to do with the housing issue?

I’m catching up… Fractelle said something about if there are some successful communities then whey not more. Now I’m just going to share something I observed in NZ with big Maori families and I guess it could be said for any family group of any race in isolation.

In NZ there were some foster kids I would get and then their cousins would come. Because their families got big and if bad the abuse went through the whole family.

I think some of these communities go bad because they end up being huge extended families that are isolated from others. They end up cult like?