Broome Struggles To Cope With Homelessness and Anti Social Behaviour

Vic41 · Guru

Broome Struggles To Cope With Homelessness and Anti Social Behaviour

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I am not going to comment on the behaviour reported in that article - there is no need for us to debate the why's and wherefore's of the situation.

However, the problem is only going to get worse -

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/closures-worry-wa-aboriginal-communities/story-fni0xqi3-1227130928142

The merit or otherwise of "funding" also does not need to be debated on this forum - but we should all attempt to try and understand the lifestyle involved.

People will gravitate to centres where there are "services" when none exist where they live.

Cheers - John

pawsoz · Senior Member

I have no desire to debate homelessness and other issues here either however it would be good for us all to remember that there but for the grace of whoever go I.
From my time in the Territory living and working for a good few years there was nothing I witnessed in Indigenous society that was not happening in the rest of society, it was just treated differently.....
Oh, and scratch the surface of any place in Australia and you will find homelessness to be a real issue...even amongst people who are working in lower paid jobs.

Annie

Gerty Dancer · Guru

You're right, Pawsoz, there are many Nomads in caravans who didn't choose the lifestyle.

Vic41 · Guru

In relation to RV travel, I think that anyone that is going to Broome needs to be aware that there are major social problems in the town and it may not be safe going out at night for any length of time. I recall on one of my visits to Broome a female with a drunken group of locals screaming abuse at some elderly Dutch campervan tourists stopped at a servo (which was also a bottle shop). Names like "You F..... White C...... etc. They were horrified and no doubt did not take away a good impression of the place.

Like some other towns in remote parts of Oz RV travellers need to exercise some caution and common sense when travelling or staying in those places.

This is not about denigrating a particular group of Australians or comparing them with others, it is about knowing something about the environment you may be travelling in.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 23rd of November 2014 11:25:13 AM

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

HMMMM ... ya can get the same action in the western suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney ... why drive all the way to Broome

Ethnicity may be different but the abuse is the same

Cheers - John

Vic41 · Guru

You don't get too many RV travellers going to the suburbs of Melbourne or Sydney as a destination with their rigs though John, unless they really have to passing through etc.

If Broom Shire and the WA and Australian governments don't sort something out and soon in those areas in regards to housing etc tourist will stop going there full stop. Unfortunately if you are going around the top end Broome is almost hard not to visit in terms of food resupply, fuel, mechanical repairs etc, as there is a lot of distance between towns etc up that way as many of you would know.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Fully appreciate the information you are imparting .. and why you are doing it.

But, really, these problems are rife throughout Australia. There are so many towns with these problems - applicable to a variety of ethnicities.

The problem is definitely not isolated to Broome - and the problem is incredibly complex with many resources and $$$ being thrown around unsuccessfully in an effort to lessen the situations.

Even the GN Mecca at Greens suffered these sort of problems last New Year it would seem .. and the ethnicity was completely different. confuse

Forewarned is definitely forearmed ... but travellers should be alert and aware no matter where they are.

Cheers - John

Vic41 · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
Snip....But, really, these problems are rife throughout Australia. There are so many towns with these problems - applicable to a variety of ethnicities.

But more so with one type of ethnicity which is why they have the largest percentage of them in prison compared to other ethnicities.

No respect for others and no responsibility for their actions, and these traits are being passed on by their parents in many instances.

I don't know what the answers are, but it is a sad fact unfortunately that this is the case.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 23rd of November 2014 01:23:37 PM

Bruce and Bev · Guru

I worked for many years in Hedland. North Hedland was regarded as the better area and South Hedland was full of public housing: ergo - Aboriginals. Sadly that area suffered badly from drunkenness in public areas (people actually lying on the roadway at night drunk and abusing and threatening people at the shops and shopping centre. Nearly all of these people were supported by Centrelink.

At that time in Karratha, it was very middle class and most of the indigenous people there had work and were as well (or better behaved in many cases) than the whites.

I visited Karratha again just 2 mnths ago and nothing had changed. A lot more Aboriginals there, but they were well dressed and behaved (again better than many of the young white over paid FIFO males)

I congratulate Twiggy Forrest from FMG in setting up a skilled training and guaranteed skilled work positions with the WA Govt last week to stop the revolving door jail situation with Aboriginals. Lets hope the other major mining companies across Oz (not just WA) will take up Twiggys challenge to them!! Like any other race, give them meaningful work and they become proud people again and contribute to our society. Remember folks, we have made these people the way they are with alcohol and govt hand-outs over too many generations.

No - I'm not a bleeding heart or chardonnay drinking wealthy person - but I was a cop for 17 years and saw it all

Golddetectornomad · Senior Member

You need the wisdom of Soloman to even raise an issue let alone solve it.....if you discuss/warn you are considered racist...if you don't warn, it could be to your fellow travellers' detriment....welcome to multi-cultural Australia today...I suspect many of us GN's have one basic element in common....the need/desire to keep our own lives as simple and uncomplicated as possible...perhaps due to previous working lifestyles and family commitments where we had little choice........

I lived for several years in a small country S.A. township with similar issues and it did indeed tragically escalate leading to several shot gun deaths similar to the ABC story warnings....... the local publican, although innocent, and his family, were forced to leave Town, in the S.A. situation, forever....the problems/issues continue to this day...
I support Vic's right to bring this article to our attention which the ABC and Townsfolk also see as an escalating problem....
To avoid that Town's problems rather than become part of them, is at least one option we can exercise providing we are forewarned.....
At my age I have had all the outside complications I wish to become involved in, unless they are entirely unavoidable.....I find dealing with everyday family complications of health/ kids/grandkids enough for this old warhorse, without going out of my way to be embroiled in more........Hoo Roo

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Sunday 23rd of November 2014 03:02:01 PM

marto1944 · Senior Member

Just maybe we all need to see the program Ray Martin did on SBS " First Contact" from my experience through life its not the aboriginals that are at fault its us whites who are at fault, you just cannot turn a sours ear into a silk purse and just look at the behaviour of some of our young white males and females today its disgusting what a dead loss they are, our forefathers would be turning over in their graves let alone the diggers that paid the ultimate price so we could have a great country, hell i am glad I am retiring and getting off the merry go round and leaving gen "X" and "Y" to self distruct

peter m

johnq · Guru

marto1944 wrote:
Just maybe we all need to see the program Ray Martin did on SBS " First Contact" from my experience through life its not the aboriginals that are at fault its us whites who are at fault, you just cannot turn a sours ear into a silk purse and just look at the behaviour of some of our young white males and females today its disgusting what a dead loss they are, our forefathers would be turning over in their graves let alone the diggers that paid the ultimate price so we could have a great country, hell i am glad I am retiring and getting off the merry go round and leaving gen "X" and "Y" to self distruct

peter m

TV productions have to be good theatre too. Never let any inconvenient facts get in the road of a good story.

What experience do you and we here have of those remote communities though?

This article mentions impressive completion rates of university study, which in turn implies that there may be some things we are not being told but should be.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=16874

The readers' comments are quite interesting too.

The answers and changes have to come from Aborigines themselves. How can some be doing so very well but others are being left behind? Where does individual choice come into it?

Vic41 · Guru

marto1944 wrote:
Just maybe we all need to see the program Ray Martin did on SBS " First Contact" from my experience through life its not the aboriginals that are at fault its us whites who are at fault, you just cannot turn a sours ear into a silk purse and just look at the behaviour of some of our young white males and females today its disgusting what a dead loss they are, our forefathers would be turning over in their graves let alone the diggers that paid the ultimate price so we could have a great country, hell i am glad I am retiring and getting off the merry go round and leaving gen "X" and "Y" to self distruct

peter m

I saw both parts of this program which showed very selective families/communities for the participants to live with. I was amazed at one Redfern woman on it who said she was 50% White and 50% Black but considered herself Aboriginal? I don't get that, if you are half White/Black couldn't you just consider yourself mixed blood? (most of us are, but not so obvious, by that I mean white races have been so mixed over the years we are a concoction of many invaders etc (eg: the British Isles).

By the way, my first wife was Aboriginal and my kids are mixed Aboriginal and European blood as is one of my son in laws.

Noel Pearson an Aboriginal who tries his best to put his people on the right track was vilified and an effigy of him burnt at an Aboriginal protest in Brisbane, along with the Australian Flag (I assume that we are so disgusting as a country the protesters stopped receiving all their Centrelink benefits). This is not the way to promote their cause.

..............................................................................................................

This was sent to me by a source which I am not at liberty to reveal, but this is how bad things at Broome have become.

Yesterday arvo all hell breaks loose out at Town Beach, Broome. This is what happened.

Over 150 black fellas from Halls Creek, Balgo, Broome start bluing. They've been on the gas all day. They were loaded up with cartons of beer and JDs.

Saw one police car go in and the missiles get launched at them and their troopy is trashed. The cops beat a retreat under a barrage of rocks and cans. 2nd, third and 4th cop cars arrive and they too are smashed by the mob that stop fighting each other and turn on the boys and girls in blue. The police start tipping out grog and the mob comes at them. Apparently it's the cops fault for turning up. In their misguided attempt to protect the innocent members of the community going about their lawful business, this has caused the mob to turn on them.

All the town liquor outlets were closed and the mob go wild again. After an hour and a half the police restore order. There are 5 wrecked police cars and four injured policemen. One obese woman is run over by a police car after throwing herself at the vehicle. Fortunately she is not seriously injured. Your tax payer funded dollars fuelled this disorder. Your tax payer dollars will pay for the repairs, police and others overtime, the medical bills and the clean up of the public park.

Next week is royalty payment week. That means, they can afford to buy cartons of JD and JB and smoke kilos of gunja. That means the police will be again back at Town Beach trying to maintain order when things get out of control. Yep, this is paradise ruined.

When will any politician have the stones to stop this blatant waste and demand accountability from these people who are partying 24/7 on a tax payer funded junket for life. And, when they call the police a white dog c-you-en-tee, that's not being racist? And we're supposed to treat them with respect ? And the wet hasn't even started yet. Welcome to the Kimberley.

(There was more (and worse) to this story than I have written here, and I have amended some parts, but you can see how things are at Broome at the present time).

...................

I would like to point out I started this thread to help warn fellow GN's to take care when visiting Broome (if they go at all). I did not want to turn it into a race related discussion, however the do gooders on the forum have done so and I took my right of reply.

I doubt I will be posting anymore on this forum where all I have done is try to help others, it is just not worth it.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 23rd of November 2014 06:28:06 PM

Golddetectornomad · Senior Member

I suggest there is no reason to leave the Forum Vic....you highlighted a valid problem we may all face as travellers...I see no racist overtones or agendas in your initial posting.......when this Forum no longer offers advice to Australia wide travellers I suggest its reason for being must be questioned....if we are forewarned, any decisions we make are at least informed decisions.....same as heading into a potential, storm, hurricane, bushfire or flood....if we are at least warned in advance..we can only blame ourselves if we end up in 'strife'........Hoo Roo

rockylizard · Guru

Vic41 wrote:

I would like to point out I started this thread to help warn fellow GN's to take care when visiting Broome (if they go at all). I did not want to turn it into a race related discussion, however the do gooders on the forum have done so and I took my right of reply.
I doubt I will be posting anymore on this forum where all I have done is try to help others, it is just not worth it.

Gday...

I would be fairly confident that all who have read this thread are very aware that your reason for posting was to warn travellers that Broome is going through problems with some of their population - albeit many of these people are not necessarily residents of Broome but people drifting into the fringes of the town.

The articles and reports you have posted clearly articulate the issues. I have carefully re-read this entire thread, and I fail to see any comment/post that could possibly be considered to have been made by "do gooders" ... or to have raised any race-related discussion.

Speaking personally, I have acknowledged previously that I understand your reason for posting the original article, and other information. I have also suggested that, apart for the need for GNs, or anyone else for that matter, needing to be aware of the circumstances in Broome, these very same conditions are very much evident in many towns and regions throughout this country. Indeed, there are many such incidents perpetuated by a variety of citizens of varying cultures.

I think that all travellers, within Straya or anywhere else for that matter, need to remain alert and very aware of the areas they travel to or through.

Forewarned is forearmed - I believe I said that previously as well.

As always, it is your prerogative to participate or not in this, or any, forum or discussion. Your comments and input would be missed by many on here I am sure - so perhaps you could give some reconsideration to your action.

Cheers - stay well - John

Ontos45 · Guru

I would like to point out I started this thread to help warn fellow GN's to take care when visiting Broome (if they go at all). I did not want to turn it into a race related discussion, however the do gooders on the forum have done so and I took my right of reply.

I doubt I will be posting anymore on this forum where all I have done is try to help others, it is just not worth it.

=========================================================================

Don't go mate, it needed to be said and sometimes the truth hurts.

hako · Guru

Damn - just tried to send Vic41 a message saying how much I appreciated all his help over the years which was all offered free of strings and he's deleted his account.
This scenario is getting to be a bit familiar.

Golddetectornomad · Senior Member

I am aware there are a number of former GN's including Vic, playing in a couple of other playgrounds now.....most GN's by nature seek a simpler uncomplicated lifestyle...having to watch their back with virtually every post is taking its toll I suggest.....when Political Correctness.....meaning others very narrow views/interpretations of what is" acceptable" to be discussed, are taking over as the accepted norm, and chastisement invariably follows.....the real tragedy is of course when decent folk leave...and there have been a considerable number lately of lively posters who are not dead from the neck up, leave......the silent majority often agree with the original posters views and are disappointed to see them leave...and the vocal few, very much in the minority, likely will make this Forum appealing to sober, lifeless old farts, sitting at home in their leather Chesterfields dropping their knitting balls....at every discussion not considered acceptable, interesting or even newsworthy, to them...

Hope Vic comes back...but like others I don't think he will, when they find other more accommodating playgrounds... collectively, we as a Group, are the poorer for it of course....Hoo Roo

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Monday 24th of November 2014 06:49:11 PM

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Monday 24th of November 2014 06:55:36 PM

-- Edited by Webmaster on Monday 24th of November 2014 08:16:08 PM

Webmaster · Guru

Hi all,
I'm sorry to see that Vic has left the forum. He was a highly respected member and his contributions will be missed.
I would just like to encourage anyone who has any issues with specific threads, other members, or anything else forum-related, to send me a PM and I will try to sort it out.