| Media Release
Tuesday 13/Oct/2009 (1600 hrs CST) Darwin City Council Media Release Council Supports Transport & Breakfast Programme - Co-operation between NAAJA and the Darwin City Council.
Darwin City Council
Media Release
Communications & Marketing (08) 8930 0504
Council Supports Transport & Breakfast Program
For immediate release – Tuesday 13 October 2009
Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer will urge the Northern Territory Government
Department of Justice to continue the transport and breakfast program for people
released from the Darwin City Watch House.
The trialling of the transport program provided by Larrakia Nation Aboriginal
Corporation and funded by the NT Government Department of Justice concluded
in late June 2009 and Council was advised that the service would cease.
At last night’s Ordinary Council Meeting, Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer said that it
was vital that this program continue.
“The success of this program is well noted and to remove funding for it would
seem ill-advised,” Lord Mayor Sawyer said.
Since early 2009, Darwin City Council has asserted the efficacy of providing a
transport program to assist people released from the Darwin City Watch House.
“We’ve seen very positive results and the program has supported vulnerable
people released from the Darwin City Watch House, ensuring they are returned
to their accommodation or linked to an advocacy agency”.
Lord Mayor Sawyer said that Council’s General Manager of Community and
Cultural Services, Mr John Banks had conducted a meeting with Ms Priscilla
Collins, the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice
Association (NAAJA) to discuss a raft of shared issues of concern regarding the
vulnerability of Aboriginal people in the Darwin locale, including people released
from the City Watch House.
Mr Banks indicated that NAAJA’s CEO remained concerned about the
vulnerability of Aboriginal people upon their release from the Watch House and
supports the re-introduction of a transport service.
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