Premier visits remote community for first time after closure announcement

WA Premier Colin Barnett has met with leaders at a remote Aboriginal community for the first time since announcing the State Government will stop funding essential services for up to 150 communities.

Mr Barnett received a warm welcome from the Warralong community, 190km east of Port Hedland, after implying that it was one of those very unlikely to close.

His comments came after earlier this year false rumours led Warralong people to believe their community’s water was being shut off and the Army was moving in to physically remove people.

Warralong’s population fluctuates but is generally home to about 100 Martu people.

It is believed the rumour was sparked by a single police vehicle entering the community to issue an arrest warrant, signifying the uncertainty among local people about their community’s future.

“I know there’s been talk about the future of communities that has upset a lot of people and I regret that,” Mr Barnett said.

“We want to see communities be successful, we want to see children going to school as they are here, but we’re also hoping there’s something for the young people as they grow up.”

The Premier reassured the community no one was going to be forced off the land and he flagged the possibility for larger communities to become towns.

The Premier said he was impressed with the community’s school, which has recently adopted a new direct instruction model for its students, but agreed more housing was needed to address overcrowding issues.

The community has 11 houses for about 90 people and it is common for up to 15 people to live in one house.

Warralong man Clarrie Robinson said building more houses and establishing a town in the community would encourage people who had moved away to return.

“It would be good, it would give us a little bit of privacy and the kids could have their own area,” he said.

“Some of our family is in Hedland, if (the State Government) built more houses, they would come back.”

Elder Teddy Bijabu told Mr Barnett the community was slowly developing and that agreements with nearby mining companies had benefited the Martu people.

“We want to get ourselves settled in this community, if we get pushed around we’ll never be what we’re meant to be,” he said.

His comments were echoed by Aboriginal Education Worker Bernice Fred who spoke softly to the Premier as she told him of her love for country.

“It’s really important living out here, I love being here,” she said.

“For me personally, I tried mainstream employment in Perth for two years and that didn’t quite work out for me because I was feeling disconnected from my culture.”