Australian Government conducting a land grab or " saving people from squalid conditions"?

A land grab or "squalid conditions"?

www.bbc.co.uk

News item read out on BBC Radio 2 - at 17:30 GMT

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 31-5-2009 by dampnickers]

[edit on 31-5-2009 by dampnickers]

Unfortunately, I cannot provide a quote from the source, as it is from the radio.

I also have no idea if this is posted anywhere else on here, if so, could a mod please close this thread.

It has just been reported on BBC Radio 2 that the Australian government is considering whether or not is should seize Aboriginal settlements in Alice Springs, Austraila.

The news report suggested that the reason for this is because several "residents" have made complaints about the "state of repair" of the settlements. Apparently the people in these settlements are living in "squalid conditions", and drainage is very poor, etc leading to diseases and so on.

Also mentioned in the report were how several parents complained that they had found "cockroaches in their childrens' ears".

According to the "Aboriginal Leaders" of this settlement this is just a ploy by the Australian Government to instigate a "land grab".

A very curious report to say the least, and I for one will be keeping my ears open for updates on this.

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I wonder if it is a "land grab" and has something to do with this...

news.bbc.co.uk...

If it is, then it is a very poor cover story.

Anyone have any other theories?

I'm curious as to why the government would chose areas so close to Alice for toxic waste dumps. There are so many less populated areas in central Australia, Western Australia and South Australia. Although I gather these sites are close to the inland railway line.
I know violence has risen in Alice over the last few years.
It is very close to Pine Gap so it may have strategic significance.