Tiwi development begs the question-"where is the money going?"
LETTER TO EDITOR – NT NEWS
Dear Editor
Your feature on the Tiwi Islands “Reaching for the sky” (31 July 2006) needs a follow-up on why it is that such successful economic development can be taking place while there are such poor social circumstances in the same communities. The UK Guardian newspaper (24th June 2006) rated the Tiwi Islands the worst in the world for suicides; renal disease is rated the worst in the world (Professor Wendy Hoy – ABC Radio National 7th November 2005); and The Weekend Australian newspaper (22nd April 2006) rated the Tiwi Islands the worst in Australia for welfare dependency.
The question must be asked why this is so especially at a time when Governments are relying on economic development as the grand saviour of social depravity in remote Aboriginal communities.
Where is the money going from these successful commercial ventures?
How it is that a community with sound industrial developments (forest, fish breeding, tourism and art) can still have such poor social capital?
This is a question that must be answered before any more praises are leveled on the Tiwi Islands - still living in day to day circumstances that would never be tolerated in a white urban community.
Rollo Manning
PO Box 98
Parap NT 0804
Phone: 8942 2101 or 0411 049 872
