Claims of food not being delivered in remote Utopia region disputed

ABORIGINAL rights group Concerned Australians has begun funding food drops in the remote Utopia region amid disputed claims elderly people are going hungry

Rosalie Kunoth-Monks at Whitegate town camp. Rosalie has past links to the site and does not wish it to be handed over to government authorities ****The owners of the property have requested we not use these photos as Ms Kunoth-Monks was there without permission and there is an ongoing dispute.

ABORIGINAL rights group Concerned Australians has begun funding food drops in the remote Utopia region amid disputed claims elderly people are going hungry.

According to Utopia elder and 2015 NT Australian of the Year Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, the aged care service responsible for delivering meals had stopped showing up to some outstations.

Utopia elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. PICTURE: Justin Brierty

The NT News visited some of these outstations with Mrs Kunoth-Monks and daughter Ngarla this week and found destitute people, but not evidence of “enforced starvation” or cancelled food services.

Shirley Kunoth, Mrs Kunoth-Monk’s sister in-law, has recently taken over the aged care service for Barkly Regional Council and said the allegations were lies and the latest act in a long-running family feud.

Barkly Shire President Barb Shaw said Mrs Kunoth-Monks was “mischief making” and hinted at a hidden agenda in the lead-up to federal and ­territory elections.

Arlparra Elder Harold Nelson said he had been getting food daily and appeared unaware of any supposed problems with food delivery.

Some people were dismayed at the amount of food they received for the $140 a fortnight Mrs Kunoth-Monks said was deducted from their pensions.

One hamper expected to last the weekend contained a small package of meat, a loaf of white bread, an apple, grapes, soaps and cleaners and single serves of Weet-Bix and oats.

Utopia, about 250km north of Alice Springs, is one of Australia’s most disadvantaged regions and English and numeracy skills are generally poor.

One confused woman said she signed a paper for aged care services but had never received a food hamper. She said she didn’t know if her Centrelink payments were being ­deducted.

The Kunoth-Monks family has begun daily cook-ups to take to grateful residents. It has been funded by Concerned Australians, of which prominent anthropologist Jon Altman and former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson are spokespeople.

“The trauma from (the Intervention) is still here, but on top of that now is enforced starvation,” Mrs Kunoth-Monks said. “I’m not using those words to dramatise the situation. That is the reality. People are slowly being starved.”

To complicate matters, some old people have their remaining pension money spent on, or by, other people, meaning they have little money for food at one of two stores, or for fuel to get there, the family said.

Respected Utopia artist Angelina Ngale said she would donate money from her next sale to help to continue to feed the other residents, despite being a recipient of Concerned Australians aid herself.

Ngarla Kunoth-Monks said she first became aware of the hunger on the Wednesday before Easter weekend when old ladies “flung themselves” at her and her daughter while in the privately owned River Gum shop.

The ladies had apparently exhausted their food hampers, credit and the generosity of the shopkeeper.

“If I didn’t have to cook for hungry people, I would believe services are being delivered,” Ngarla said.