A rough time for Aurukun

FOR every step forward for Aurukun, there seems to be a big leap backwards.

It was with a heavy heart that we reported on the weekend yet another night of violence for the Western Cape community.

Fortunately, it does not appear anyone was seriously injured in the rioting that broke out in the indigenous township on Friday night.

Police said the large altercation in Aurukun’s streets did, however, result in damage to several houses and police cars.

It’s been a rough few weeks for those living – both permanently and temporarily – in the troubled community.

The riot that broke out on New Year’s Eve, following the stabbing death of a 37-year-old man, resulted in homes being burned down, and hundreds of locals fleeing into the bush.

You can’t blame them for not wanting to go back.

Since then, it has been an “allhands-on deck” approach from State Government, Aurukun Shire Council, and other community leaders to try and sort the township’s problems out. For a little while, it appeared they were making some headway.

But whatever caused Friday night’s disturbance, shows that there is still a long, long way to go to ease the civil unrest within the community.

Rioting is not new in Aurukun, with similar outbreaks of violence occurring in 2007, 2013 and 2015.

And the current problems are not just the result of numerous warring tribal clans that call the area home.

There are modern problems in the mix as well, substance abuse blamed for contributing to the NYE riot.

It is clear that the cultural problems in Aurukun are never going to be fixed overnight.

Daniel Bateman daniel.bateman@news.com.au