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Harris, Lachlan --- "Thamarrurr Council Breaks New Ground" [2003] IndigLawB 11; (2003) 5(23) Indigenous Law Bulletin 4

Thamarrurr Council Breaks New Ground

by Lachlan Harris

On 19 March 2003 the Northern Territory Government and local land owning Aboriginal groups of Wadeye, 270 kilometres southwest of Darwin, signed an agreement formally recognising the creation of Thamarrurr Community Government Council (‘Thamarrurr Council’). As a result of the agreement the Council became the official local government in the Wadeye region.

The Thamarrurr Partnership News reported that ‘Thamarrurr means coming together to work together’. According to the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Clare Martin, it will ‘blend customary decision making and governance with the principles that guide the western democratic system’.[1]

Kardu Numida Incorporated, one of the forerunners of Thamarrurr Council, was instrumental in the successful formulation of the council. In a submission to the Capacity Building Inquiry of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, they explained the motivation for the formation of the Council, as well as describing its structure.[2] They told the committee that Thamarrurr Council is ‘intended to form the foundation of a contemporary structure, which will support the social, political, cultural and economic development of the people in partnership with both the Commonwealth and Territory Governments, of the day.’[3]

Thamarrurr Council will achieve these outcomes through its structure as an Aboriginal forum where ‘the leaders/representatives of each clan group know their relationship with representatives from other clan groups, through an arrangement called ‘Kulu’. Each group is considered an equal amongst others’. [4] Accordingly there are no presidents, or chairpersons or other designated leaders such as a mayor. Instead ‘local landowners of the particular land on which they meet, will provide the normal courtesies which exist under the relationships code of ethics’.[5]

Theodora Narndu, a traditional land owner and President of the Wadeye Women’s Resource Centre has high hopes for Thamarrurr Council. She told those present at the signing that ‘I really believe, deeply within my heart that a lot of good, a lot of achievement will come because the ownership of the structure belongs to the people. It’s a new beginning’.

The Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments responded to the local communities’ enthusiasm and hard work by choosing Thamarrurr Council to be the only trial site in the Northern Territory for the Council of Australian Governments’ (‘COAG’) whole-of-government approach to service delivery in Indigenous communities. It is this development that both the Territory and Federal Governments are pushing as a great success. But the Wadeye community itself is much prouder of the Thamarrurr Community Government Council.

Wadeye community has a population of around 2500 and it is growing by about 100 people every year. Despite this, normal services provided by mainstream governments (eg police, health, education) that you would ordinarily encounter in a town this size have been sadly lacking. Thamarrurr Council is an expression of the frustration of the local Aboriginal people regarding the failure of government service delivery in the area, and a positive step forward for the ability of the Wadeye community to control their own local government.

The formation of Thamarrurr Council is a reflection of many years of hard work and negotiation by the Aboriginal clans in the region. Federal Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Amanda Vanstone complemented the community telling reporters that ‘the Wadeye community has worked very hard over the last few years to build a new system of community leadership ... this is an important step on the way to the community and its leaders taking responsibility for managing its own affairs’.[6] Felix Bunduk, an Aboriginal elder in Wadeye also reflected on his hopes for Thamarrurr Council, modestly admitting that ‘yes, yes, a better life for us now, we’re looking towards this’.

Lachlan Harris is the editor of the Australian Indigenous Law Reporter and can be contacted at ailr@unsw.edu.au.


[1] Clare Martin, ‘Wadeye agreement signals better times ahead for service delivery’, Northern Territory Government Media Release (21 March 2003).

[2] Kardu Numida Incorporated, ‘Submission to Capacity Building Inquiry of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs’ (Submission No 13, August 30 2002).

[3] Ibid 2.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Senator Amanda Vanstone, ‘Wadeye community joins Federal Territory partnership’, Press Release (21 March 2003).


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