Report - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

Testimonies on Housing, Land and Property Rights <strong>of</strong> Women (Migration, Shift to
Urban Areas, Urban Settlements)
Presenters: Stella Simmering, Elizabeth Tongne, Reginald Kipe,
Stella Simmering, Australia
Longgrass Association Testimony on <strong>the</strong> right to adequate housing
My name is Stella Simmering. I represent <strong>the</strong> Longgrass Association from Darwin, Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory,
Australia. Longgrass is a local name used by people whose testimonies I will be presenting. The
Longgrass Association is made up <strong>of</strong> people ‘camping out’ in Darwin and <strong>the</strong>ir family and friends.
The Association provides practical support to <strong>the</strong>m and is a human rights advocate network. The
Longgrass Association is a voice for <strong>the</strong> hundreds <strong>of</strong> voiceless individuals and family groups that live
in <strong>the</strong> longgrass ei<strong>the</strong>r by choice or by circumstance.
I have been working with families living in <strong>the</strong> longgrass since 1997. Firstly with my adopted Aboriginal
family from <strong>the</strong> remote community <strong>of</strong> Maningrida, in Arnhem Land, who were at <strong>the</strong> time living at
Fish Camp, on <strong>the</strong> edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mangroves.
June Mills has been a key spokesperson for <strong>the</strong> Longgrass Association. She is a Larrakia lady, a
traditional land owner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Darwin area. She is also an artist and musician, a mo<strong>the</strong>r and grandmo<strong>the</strong>r,
a community leader and an outspoken advocate <strong>of</strong> Indigenous and human rights. As we didn’t have
time to record an interview with June, I will share information from interviews done with her for <strong>the</strong>
March, June and October editions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Longgrass Association magazine in 2003. The magazine is
used to give a voice to longgrass people – to give an indication <strong>of</strong> how people are living and <strong>the</strong>ir
feelings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> situation.
Longgrass people are mainly family groups who come from remote and inter-State Indigenous
communities and <strong>the</strong> islands. Whe<strong>the</strong>r by choice or by circumstance, longgrass people are living in
<strong>the</strong> parks, <strong>the</strong> mangroves, <strong>the</strong> bush, <strong>the</strong> wastelands, on <strong>the</strong> beaches and streets – within and around
<strong>the</strong> fringes <strong>of</strong> Darwin city and its satellite city, Palmerston. The Larrakia are <strong>the</strong> traditional
land owners <strong>of</strong> this area. The Larrakia did lodge a land claim to land in this area, and <strong>the</strong> claim
was resolved with <strong>the</strong> agreement that <strong>the</strong> land in Palmerston would be developed, but by <strong>the</strong>
corporate arm <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Larrakia Nation. However, some Larrakia people have lost <strong>the</strong>ir lands and also
struggle with <strong>the</strong> difficulties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> housing commission tenancies. Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public parks that
lonngrass people live on, are classified as crown lands, and are under <strong>the</strong> control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Darwin
City Council.
The longgrass people live in extremely difficult circumstances, including extreme poverty. They face
extreme disadvantage in terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir right to practice <strong>the</strong>ir culture. They have been labelled as being
an itinerant problem (e.g. because <strong>the</strong>y allegedly leave <strong>the</strong>ir rubbish in public spaces). The key issues
for longgrass people are:
– criminalisation <strong>of</strong> homelessness through Darwin City Council by-laws;
– not being allowed to light a fire for sleeping between dusk and dawn;
– leaving possessions in a public space;
194 WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO ADEQUATE HOUSEING AND LAND