Emergency Response to protect Aboriginal children in the NT

Yamba the Honey Ant meets some of his fans at the opening of the Wutunugurra Community Store, Sept 2008.

On 21 June 2007 the former Australian Government announced the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) to protect Aboriginal children from abuse and build the basis for a better future.

The immediate nature of the response reflected the first recommendation of the Little Children are Sacred report from the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse – which asked that ‘Aboriginal child sexual abuse in the Northern Territory be designated as an issue of urgent national significance by both the Australian and Northern Territory governments...’.

The current Government has continued most NTER measures in full and on 6 June 2008 announced a comprehensive and independent review. The review’s report was released on 13 October 2008. Further information, including the report, is available on the NTER Review website.

On 23 October 2008 the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs released an interim response to the NTER Review Board Report.