Adam Steer:

“A release put out yesterday by three NT remote Councils, which are overwhelmingly Aboriginal in makeup and which preside over communities, which are also overwhelmingly Aboriginal in make up saying they were told by the federal government they are not Aboriginal enough to access a grant to provide their new remote work program so the new version of CDP.”

Dale Keehne:

"Yeah, I'd like to just first start by really emphasising and we sent a letter yesterday late yesterday … to Minister Malarndirri McCarthy Marion Scrymgour, Special Envoy."

“We start that letter by really highlighting how much we respect their roles and how much they've been fighting for years to make CDP … real again. So you know, hats off to them”

“About Roper Gulf, I just spoke with the CEO to clarify, and they lost two out of the three regions that CDP's been broken up into.”

“And what Council is committed … I can tell you, we're not a business and we're not a corporation and we have, we are 100% Aboriginal controlled. All our 12 Councillors are Aboriginal from cultural based regions.”

“We have Local Authorities across the whole region. We have up to 86 leaders who guide us officers like me what to do. And I can tell you, after all these years they’re committed to have a real CDP just like the Minister is and Marion."

"But we're finding at the at the official level the bureaucratic level, the process unintentionally has led to a process where we are considered not Aboriginal at the same standing."

"All we're concerned about is community and that's all we're here for. Every dollar we get goes to community and we just want this to work."

"We want to meet and talk direct straight with her (Malarndirri) and Marion. They’re both straight talkers and have been around forever and good, strong Territorians like our leaders. We need to be able to talk in person, as you will hear and feel the passion of our Councillors that this is not about us."

Listen to the full interview here: