More than 60 leaders from Queensland’s 17 Indigenous councils gathered in Cairns last week to discuss common issues affecting their communities, such as housing and inadequate service delivery.

The Indigenous Leaders Forum heard from speakers including Minister for Housing Leeanne Enoch and Assistant Local Government Minister Nikki Boyd over the two days.

The ILF offered its collective support to Mornington Shire Council mayor Kyle Yanner’s urgent plea for an independent audit to be held into the services being delivered to his community, with the current situation on Mornington Island reaching crisis point.

ILF co-chair, Hope Vale Mayor Jason Woibo, said the unacceptable conditions Cr Yanner and his community were experiencing demonstrated just how crucial it was for the services being delivered to First Nations communities to be improved.

“Mayor Yanner is not alone in this. The ILF is united on the need for change. The health and welfare of our people depends on it,” Cr Woibo said.

ILF co-chair, Lockhart River mayor Wayne Butcher, said the adequacy of service delivery to First Nations communities was of critical concern.

“Continuous challenges with service delivery have been a focus of this week’s forum with all communities sharing similar concerns,” he said.

“We need confidence the services being delivered in our communities are making a difference on the ground.

“If this issue is not addressed our communities will continue to fall further behind.”

The Indigenous Leaders Forum will meet again in October at the LGAQ’s annual conference in Mackay.

This article appeared in Cape York Weekly, 3 May 2021.