LEICHHARDT Riverbed campers need to respect the land and waterways that belong to the Kalkadoon people.
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They also need to return home and get the support they need, Kalkadoon Community chairperson Virginia Mayo said.
It was not good that the riverbed that flowed to the city’s main water source of Lake Moondarra was being polluted with garbage such as beer cans, aerosol cans and faeces.
“The Kalkadoon people value and work to protect their land,” Ms Mayo said.
“We do not want every Aboriginal person that lives in the community to be stereotyped as chroming alcoholics because we are not that.
“Basically I think we need to stand up on that matter.”
The land was linked to the social and emotional wellbeing of the Kalkadoon people.
Ms Mayo said the issue with riverbed campers was not unique to Mount Isa and was a social problem across Australia.
The problem in Mount Isa needed to be solved with sensitivity.
This could be done with a regional community forum with all community groups and government departments.
Ms Mayo promised it would be more than a “talk fest”.
An action plan would be developed but it could also be determined how to improve service groups so they were more “culturally appropriate and supportive”.
“From that forum it could come out who is responsible for what,” she said.