The three levels of government will be meeting in Tennant Creek next week to acknowledge the key achievements to date of the Barkly Regional Deal and discuss future priorities.

Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories Nola Marino and Northern Territory Attorney General and Minister for Treaty and Local Decision Making Selena Uibo will meet with Barkly Regional Council Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin and sign a Statement of Recommitment to the Barkly Regional Deal.

All three levels of government are continuing to work together with the Barkly community to design and implement a Regional Deal that supports the economic growth and social development of the Barkly region.

Key to this is placing local priorities at the centre of the Regional Deal. Local community members are involved in key decisions on matters such as the location and design of the new Visitor Park and Youth Justice Facility.

Supporting local Aboriginal leadership is also a priority, improving social and economic outcomes in recognition of their ongoing connection to country as traditional owners and custodians of the land.

Assistant Minister Marino will be visiting from 21–23 April and will be meeting with a number of community groups from the region to hear first-hand about local priorities and aspirations, in order to listen to the community whose priorities the Deal has been designed to support.

The Barkly Regional Deal was signed in April 2019 and a spokesperson said it is important to reflect on what has been achieved, and the work that lies ahead.

“The airstrip at Alpurrurulam has been upgraded, contracts have been awarded for youth centres in Ali Curung and Tennant Creek and a skate park in Alpurrurulam, and construction of 10 of the dwellings planned by the Northern Territory Government has commenced,” she said.

“Governments are also looking to the best way to engage with the Barkly community on the Government Investment and Service System Reform (GISSR) initiative.

“This long-term reform agenda will be implemented over the life of the Deal, and holds the greatest potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of people in the Barkly by improving the delivery of government investment and services.”

The Barkly Regional Deal is the first Regional Deal in Australia – a 10-year $78.4 million commitment between the Australian and Northern Territory governments and the Barkly Regional Council.

However Barkly MLA Steve Edgington said the NT Government was nowhere near meeting its commitment to the 28 economic, social and cultural initiatives to be implemented across the region over the first three years of the deal.

“This week marks the two-year anniversary of the signing of the deal and by now the NT Government should have completed a full-service review of the region which would aid in the implementation of the Regional Deal.

“The need for a full review of government investment and service system reform in the Barkly and across the Territory is well overdue!

“The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (2018) (Royal Commission) found the child, youth and family service system across the Northern Territory to be disjointed, have gross inefficiencies and waste, and be less effective at achieving long lasting benefit.

“That’s why one of the main priorities for the Deal is all about improving and strengthening the local service system to ensure it responds to local priorities and needs, and results in measurable social and economic outcomes across the region.

“We wanted to see where the gaps in services are and where the priority areas for funding need to be.”

This article appeared in the Tennant & District Times, 16 April 2021.