Community Feedback on the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) – Research Report (September 2008) 

The Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre Australia (CIRCA) conducted consultations in four remote Indigenous communities (Ali Curung, Hermannsburg, Nguiu and Galiwin’ku) to be used in the review of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).

The main focus of these consultations was to explore two of the key measures of the NTER:

• Community Safety – Do people feel safer as a result of the Intervention?
• Income Management – Is Income Management positive or negative? How is it affecting community members?

For each of these issues, the consultations gathered feedback on:

• What is working?
• What is not working?
• What are the unintended consequences (both positive and negative)?
• How should this measure be taken forward?

1.1 Methodology

CIRCA worked with local Indigenous research partners and the qualitative methodology for each community was developed in consultation with the local partners. As a result, the approach varied in each location. The research methodology for each community is detailed below.

Ali Curung

• Worked with a male Aboriginal researcher.
• Research was conducted from 27^th to 28^th August 2008.
• Most people in Ali Curung were reluctant to be interviewed in large groups, preferring to meet in smaller family groups or individually. As a result the interview process was very time consuming with a total of 14 meetings held with 25 people in total. However, this approach allowed for in-depth discussions which yielded a large amount of individual feedback and enabled people to talk more openly about the effects of income management on alcohol use and gambling.
• Included:
• Eight mini groups of 2 or 3 people, and 6 individual interviews;
• 17 women and 8 men were interviewed;
• A wide mix of age groups, with about half the participants being young people;
• Most people interviewed were on income management or had family members who were on income management. Several people were either working or on CDEP;
• Almost all the people interviewed had children.

Galiwin’ku

• Worked with four researchers from Elcho Island who also acted as interpreters for the groups. Interviews were conducted in a mix of language and English.
• Research was conducted from 1^st to 3^rd September 2008.
• Included:
• 7 group discussions with the three main clan groups with 103 people participating.
• 70 women and 33 men participated;
• A mix of age groups was represented including 55 young people;
• One group discussion was held at Low Down Camp with 12 people;
• Three group discussions were held at Middle Camp. One with 19 people, one meeting with 12 people and a final meeting with 8 people;
• One meeting of 26 people was held at Beach Camp;
• Two group discussions were held at Top Camp, one with 14 people and another with 12 people.
• Most people who attended the meetings were on income management or had relatives who were on income management. About 10% were on CDEP, and some were employed.
• Most people who were interviewed had children.

Hermannsburg

• Worked with a female interpreter for the larger community meeting, and several local research partners facilitated the smaller group discussions.
• Research was conducted from 11^th to 13^th August 2008.
• Included:
• A community meeting (approximately 20 people participated), including males and females and a wide range of age groups;
• A mini group with 5 younger community members aged 15-21 (4 males, 1 female)
• A mini group with 3 community members;
• A mini group with 4 women from the Women’s Centre and the Child Care Centre;
• Meetings and consultations with key Shire staff including the CEO, the community services manager, and the housing officer;
• Meetings and consultations with a number of key infrastructure people including staff from both community-based stores, the visiting Money Business worker who provides financial literacy advice to community members, the local school Principal and the youth programs coordinator.

Nguiu

• Worked with female interpreter.
• Research was conducted from 6^th to 7^th August 2008.
• Included:
• Two women’s groups (one group of 15 women and one group of 10 women, including older and some younger women);
• Group with youth diversion staff (mainly younger community members, mix of male and female participants, 15 people in total);
• Community meeting (approximately 75 participants in total). Included males and females, and younger and older participants. Skewed to male participants and older participants;
• Group with young mothers (four participants);
• Paired depth with Shire staff.